Precious
by Angel Eyes Kiyone
Summary: Eiri finally gets fed up with Tohma telling him what to do. And after a talk with his baby brother and a call about an accident, what will Eiri do? I had to rewrite the first chapter so please R&R.
1. Chapter 1

Gravitation

Disclaimer: I don't own Gravitation. Maki Murakami does.

Angel Eyes Kiyone: Hi, everyone. Sorry about not putting a disclaimer on my other story. I don't have microsoft word on my computer so I couldn't go back and correct my error. So please don't sue me. It's been a few years since I last wrote a fanfic. So sorry if the last one wasn't so great. I hope you all enjoy this one. So please r&r. Enjoy!

It was irritating. Once again he had thrown the boy out of his apartment and into the cold Winter night. He didn't want to. He simply had no choice. Whatever big brother wants, big brother gets. He layed there on the couch after crying himself to sleep last night. His golden hazel eyes stared off into space; thinking of the one that pryed his way into his quiet life. They were complete opposites. Eiri "Yuki" Uesugi, due to a tragic past, was the strong, silent type. His "lover" on the other hand, was loud, energetic, and full of spirit. Eiri closed his eyes and tried to relax. He didn't want to remember what happened to make him throw his lover out the door. But his mind forced the images of the events foward.

Flashback

"Eiri," Seguchi said, "you only think he's making your life better. But he's not. He'll only bring you down in the end. Please do not make the same mistake twice."

"I won't," Eiri replied calmly, "I know what I'm doing, Seguchi."

"Do you," Seguchi said plainly, "because I don't think you do, Eiri. Think about it. If worse comes to worst, I'll be more than happy to step in and take care of the job for you."

"How," Eiri asked simply.

"Hm. I think you know by now what I am capable of, brother," Seguchi stated in a calm, yet evil voice.

Eiri said nothing. More than anything he wanted to strangle the man. But he stood his ground and let Seguchi finish.

"Just think about what I said," Seguchi continued. "The sooner he's out of your life, the better."

And with that, Tohma left the apartment. Eiri stood in the middle of the room is silence. He knew very well what Tohma Seguchi was capable of, especially when it came to him. He would do just about anything to protect his brother-in-law. But this was going too far. Eiri couldn't help but ask himself why. Why would Seguchi go so far as to kill someone for him? Eiri knew about his strange affect on people, but he didn't think it would be that serious. He had to protect his lover from Tohma's wrath or else he himself would regret it.

Five hours later...

"Yuki," came Shuichi's loud, energetic voice, "I'm home! Huh? Y-Yuki?"

Eiri stood in front of the boy with two suitecases sitting at his feet. He really didn't want to, but he had no choice. More than anything, he wanted Shuichi to stay with him. But right now he had to protect him.

"Huh? Y-Yuki," Shuichi said puzzled, "what's going on? Why are my suitcases out here? Are we going somewhere?"

"We are not going anywhere," Eiri replied bitterly, "You, on the other hand, need to get the hell out, now."

"Huh? B-but why, Yuki," Shuichi pleaded, "What did I do this time?"

"I hate you," Eiri stated bitterly. "You're just a waste of my time and energy. My life was peaceful until you barged in. And while you're at it, get your damn head out of the clouds. If you think for one minute that I have any sort of feelings for you, think again. You made me completely miserable. You make everyone around you miserable. Why don't you go dig a deep grave somewhere and burry yourself in it. We'll all be happy once you're gone. You're useless; a complete waste of sperm and egg. You're bad luck! No one loves you and no one ever will. No one wants to hear your loud ass mouth and no one wants to see your ugly ass face. So just die and leave us at peace."

Eiri's heart throbbed in pain with every evil and diabolical word he spoke. He just wanted to drop to his knees in front of the poor boy and hold him in his arms for eternity. He wanted to tell him he didn't mean any of that demonic rubbish he just spoke and kiss him repeatedly until he was forgiven. But he didn't. He stood his ground. Heart aching. Head throbbing. Soul crying. Shuichi looked up at him clutching his chest with trembling hands. His face was drentched with tears. He had been insulted many times by this man. But never ever like this. It was like someone ran him over with a semi truck and then shot him in the chest repeatedly with a magnum. What? What did he do to deserve such vile treatment from the ones he loved most? Why was he even born? The pain he now felt was excruciating. As painful as it was, he forced a smile on his face and looked at his beloved-no-more.

"Ok," Shuichi said sadly, "I'll go. I...I-I'm s-s-sorry that I m-made you s-s-so miserable. ... ... ...*sniff* S-so...I'll leave and... ... I'll never come back. But... th-thank you for everything that you've done for me. And thank y-you f-f-for allowing me to stay with you for so long...*sniff* I won't ever bother you again. I promise. *sniff* Goodbye. And thank you, Eiri Uesugi."

And with that, Shuichi grabbed his suitecases, slid his shoes back on, and walked out the door without looking back. Eiri stood in the middle of the room for a long while. His body started shaking violently. His knees buckled from underneathe him and he fell to the floor. He didn't care anymore if anyone saw him. He didn't stop the tears from flowing. Curling up into a ball on the floor, he let out a heart wrentching sob.

"Shuichi," Eiri whailed, "I'm s-so sorry, Shuichi. *sniff* Oh, God. *sniff* I'm so s-s-sorry, Baby. Ngh! Aaaaaahhhhhhh! Shuiiiichiii!"

End Flashback

Eiri was brought out of his trance when he heard a knock at the door. But without waiting for a response, the person entered anyways. Eiri sat up on the couch to see his younger brother, Tatsuha, waltz in the living room uninvitedly. He had a smile that reminded him of Shuichi plastered on his face. Eiri knew why it was there and it annoyed him to no end.

"What the hell do you want, Tatsuha," Eiri snapped, "I don't want to be bothered right now."

"Oh, I was just in the neighborhood," Tatsuha said playfully. "By the way, on my way here, I saw Shuichi and Hiro walking down the street. Shuichi looked depressed. Did you two have another fight?"

"What's it to you," Eiri said bitterly.

"Why can't you just be honest with him, bro," Tatsuha scolded. "You know how much he loves you. And it's pretty obvious that you love him too."

"It's complicated," Eiri said plainly. "So what did you come here to tell me? If it's not important then leave."

"Tsk. Father wants to know how you've been doing," Tatsuha continued. "It may not seem like it to you, but he is worried about you."

"Hah," Eiri laughed, "that old geezer's worried about me? Please. Don't make me laugh. You should have seen the way he looked at me when I brought Shuichi to the Temple. The bastard looked like he wanted to kill us both."

"You don't say," replied Tatsuha. "He had that same expression when I brought Ryu-chan home."

"Oh," Eiri said surprised.

"Yup," Tatsuha continued, "my point is I think he's more afraid of being abandoned by his own children more than anything. That's why he's having second thoughts."

"Is he now," Eiri said sarcastically, "I find that hard to believe."

"No, seriously," Tatsuha said. "That's why he asked me to come here and tell you that he would like to see you and Shuichi. That is if you want to. But seeing is that Shuichi is no longer he-"

"What," Eiri interupted his brother, "He wants to see me and Shuichi? You're not serious, are you?"

"Dead serious," Tatsuha said, "so what happened to you and Shuichi?"

"Like I said," Eiri sighed, "it's complicated." *looks away*

"This has something to do with Tohma, doesn't it," Tatsuha asked.

Eiri said nothing. He layed back down on the couch and stared up at the ceiling.

"Seriously, bro," Tatsuha snapped, "why the hell do you insist on letting him run your life? Last I checked you weren't sixteen anymore."

"Just forget about it, Tatsuha," Eiri ordered calmly, "it doesn't concern you."

"Like hell it doesn't," Tatsuha snapped. "I know I was only eight when that incident happened in New York, but I'm old enough now to know that just because you killed someone you cared about, doesn't mean you have to live the rest of your life locked up in solitude. Some people would consider what you did as self defense. Hell, I know I would!"

Eiri gasped in surprise. At the mention of self defense, countless emotions started to flood through Eiri. This reminded him of something Shuichi had said to him not to long ago.  
Flashback

Shuichi and Eiri were laying on the couch watching a romance movie. The main character had just walked into a studio to find all of her friends gathered around a television screen and watching the news. Supposedly the man that the main character was involved with was killed in a car accident. The two had gotten into an arguement earlier and the main character had left him. Now here she was in the middle of the studio unnoticed while the others hoped to God that she wasn't with him when it happened. Relieved, yet shocked, everyone saw that she was fine, but devistated. At her concert she gave everyone in the audience a little piece of advice before she started singing. She told everyone to never take anyone they loved for granted. She mentioned that you'll never know when you might lose that person and you might never get another chance to tell them how you really feel. This brought tears to Shuichi's eyes. By the time the movie had finished, his shirt was covered in his own tears and snot. Disgusted as usual, Eiri helped him take it off. He wiped away the tears from Shuichi's face and pulled him into a straddle position on his lap. When the boy finally calmed down, Eiri coaxed him into telling him what was wrong.

"I admire her," Shuichi said with sadness in his voice. "The way she was able to look so s-strong in front of an entire audience when really she was going through so much pain." *sniff*

"Shuichi," Eiri said confused, "you realize that it's just a movie, right?"

"I know," Shuichi said, "but still. It just reminds me of...ngh...forget it."

"Of what," Eiri coaxed.

"You don't want to hear it, Yuki," Shuichi replied.

"Oh...that," Eiri said plainly. "Look, I told you, you don't need to worry yourself over that. I'm the one that went through it. I don't want to have to drag you through something like tha-"

"Yeah, but by yourself, Yuki," Shuichi interupted. "You can't tell me that it wasn't difficult for you to face that on your own! You can't tell me that you didn't feel abandoned and alone after going through an ordeal like that!"

"Stop," Eiri ordered, "Shui-"

"No," Shuichi protested.

"Look," Eiri sighed, "just let it go-"

"No, I won't let it go, Yuki," Shuichi yelled. "Noone deserves to go through an experience like that on their own! Not even you! You've always been there for me when I got into trouble with someone. So why won't you let me help you?! It wasn't your fault. You were...you were just defending yourself. Who knows where you'd be right now if you hadn't done what you did. I know I'd be nothing if I didn't have you."

"What, you mean your music career," Eiri chuckled. "Argh!"

Eiri felt the air leave his lungs as Shuichi's fist made impact with his stomache. He winced in slight pain.

"You know what I mean, damn it," Shuichi scolded. "God, Eiri, I love you! I don't ever want to lose you. Ever." *sniff*

Eiri was taken aback by this. The way Shuichi said his first name like that made him feel warm inside. Where would he be if he hadn't pulled the trigger and killed Kitazawa? Where would Shuichi be if he had never met Eiri in the park that fateful night? To think that the boy would get so worked up about his past just by watching some damned movie. Eiri made a note to himself to never watch that movie ever again. Feeling defeated, he put his arms around the boy's waist and held him closer.

"You're right," Eiri said calmly. "It was difficult going through it by myself. That's probably why Seguchi always kept me sheltered. To be honest, I'm still a little scared to face it with or without someone next to me."

"Yuki," Shuichi said, "just know that...when you are ready...I'll be right here with you."

"Hm. You're too good to me, you know that," Eiri teased.

"You deserve it," Shuichi chuckled. "You've been through enough. I love you, Yuki. You're the most precious thing in my life right now and I'm not ever giving you up."

"Sh-Shuichi."

End Flashback

"Bro," Tatsuha said trying to snap Eiri out of his trance, "you ok?"

"Shuichi."

%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%

Angel Eyes Kiyone: Hey! So how do you like it so far? Wait until you read what happens next. That damned Eiri! I feel sorry for poor Shuichi. So if ya want me to update, review review review. Oh, and the movie that they were watching was called "Glitter" starring Mariah Carey. Until next time. Love yas!


	2. The Flame In His Heart

Gravitation

Disclaimer: I don't own Gravitation. Maki Murakami does.

Angel Eyes Kiyone: Hey! Sorry it took so long to put this one up. I've got a case of writer's block. I hope you enjoy it though.

Tatsuha turned off the t.v. He had lost track of the time while trying to comfort his big brother. Tatsuha had not seen Eiri cry in over seven years. He actually felt a little relieved because it showed that his big brother was a human being with a heart. He had passed out on the couch after once again crying himself to sleep. Tatsuha knew that Eiri cared for Shuichi very much even though he would never admit it. The problem wasn't Eiri's pride. It was Touma. From the first moment Mika brought him home to meet her family, Tatsuha knew that there was something not right about him. He saw the way his eyes lit up when he first met Eiri. After that, it was like nothing else mattered to Touma. In front of her family, he put on his sweet, innocent, gentleman-like mask. But Tatsuha saw right through it. He even told his sister about the bad feeling he was getting about Touma. Sadly, she just brushed Tatsuha aside; stating to him that he was just a little kid and he shouldn't be talking such nonsense.

'Hm. Guess I was right,' Tatsuha thought to himself.

" You're still here," came a voice from behind Tatsuha.

"Holy shit, Eiri," Tatsuha squeaked, "you scared the crap out of me!"

"Like I give a damn," Eiri replied coldly.

"You're full of shit, ya know that," Tatsuha shot back.

Eiri sat up and rubbed his eyes. He looked around the room. No sign of Shuichi. He was a little confused and a bit depressed. He needed a cigarette really bad.

"You kicked him out, remember," Tatsuha reminded his brother.

Eiri ignored his younger brother and started digging into his shirt pocket for his pack of cigarettes. There they were. There were five left. He picked up his lighter from the coffee table. Tatsuha stared at the silver torch in his brother's hand. The lid had a sticker on it. It was an image of Eiri and Shuichi on their first date to Odaiba Amusement Park. That was a year ago. But something didn't seem right to Tatsuha. He watched as his brother lit the cancer stick and place the lighter back on the coffee table.

"Uh, hey, bro," Tatsuha said.

"What," Eiri replied plainly.

"Out of curiosity, how long have you had that lighter?"

"About a year and six months now," Eiri replied. "Why do you ask?"

"Well considering how often you smoke," Tatsuha continued, "shouldn't the fuel in that lighter be long gone by now?"

Eiri's eyes grew wide. He hadn't noticed before. He bought the lighter six months before he met Shuichi and he's had it ever since. Picking it up from the coffee table, Eiri studied the metal torch carefully. He removed his cigarette and placed it in the ash tray on the coffee table. Holding the lighter flat in his palm, Eiri noticed that it was light; not as heavy as it used to be when he first bought it.

"Bro," Tatsuha said trying to get his brother's attention. "What is it?"

Eiri flipped the lid open and ignited a flame. There it was; burning brightly. He then flipped it closed and held it to his ear. Eiri's eyes went wide when he shook it.

"What's wrong," Tatsuha asked worried.

"It's empty."

Angel Eyes Kiyone: Ok. Sorry if this one sucked. Writer's block sucks. So tell me what you think. Should I keep going? Just quit now and start another one? Aaaahhh!! I am going insane!! Please R&R. 


	3. Realization

Gravitation

Disclaimer: I don't own Gravitation. Maki Murakami does.

Angel Eyes Kiyone: At long last, here is the third chapter. Sorry that took so long. Hope you enjoy it.

The two siblings sat in silence for several long moments. Both were in utter shock. Eiri, who had completely forgotten about his cigarette, (and his depression for that matter) racked his brain for a good answer as to why his empty lighter was still igniting flames after so long.

"Maybe it's love," came Tatsuha's voice suddenly breaking the silence.

Eiri looked at his little brother who was now looking at a wallet sized photo in his hand. The picture was of him and Ryuichi standing under a tree holding eachother close in a protective manner. Tatsuha smiled to himself. After waiting for so long, he finally got what he wanted. He wished he could say the same for his brother.

"What do you mean?" Eiri asked confused.

" You know what I mean." Tatsuha replied plainly. Placing the photo back in his pocket, he stood up to leave. "I'm out of here."

"It's late," Eiri reminded him, " are you sure you want to ride all the way back to Kyoto at this hour?"

"Aww! Are you worried about my safety, bro?" Tatsuha teased.

"Shut up!" Eiri snapped. "I'm just saying it's a long ride back."

"Can I spend the night here then?" Tatsuha asked his irritated brother.

"Fine." Eiri rolled his eyes. " Just don't go raiding my refrigerator, twerp!"

"Haha! Sure, whatever." Tatsuha laughed. "Hey, get me a blanket, will ya?"

"Yeah, whatever." Eiri sighed.

Just then, Tatsuha's cell'phone went off. He looked at the caller's id. A wicked smile spread across his face. It was Ryuichi.

"Hey, Honey," Tatsuha said seductively, "what's up?"

"Tatsuha?" came a panicking voice on the other end. "Where are you right now?!"

"Whoa, calm down," Tatsuha replied suddenly worried, "what's the matter, Baby?"

"Where are you?!" Ryuichi snapped.

"I'm at my brother's place." Tatsuha replied flabbergasted. "Why? What's wrong?"

"Just turn on the tv and put it on channel four!" Ryuichi replied with panic in his voice.

Just as Tatsuha turned the television on, Eiri walked into the living room with a blanket and pillow under his arm. There was a worried look on his face.

What's going on-" Eiri was cut off by the image he saw on the tv screne. The blanket and pillow fell from under his arm and his stomache lurched.

Tatsuha dropped his cell'phone on the floor. His eyes widened in horror at the sight before him. There were about a dozen police cars everywhere. Ambulances were lined up and there were people scattered on the streets looking at the sight before them. There were two balls of metal pushed together in the middle of the road by a semi truck. They were so destroyed that no one could even tell what kind of cars they were. But the saddest part was that all but one of the victoms died. The survivor was carried away on a stretcher. Eiri and Tatsuha watched carefully as crew members placed the victom into the ambulance truck and ushered a man following them to go in after. News reporters and photographers tried to get a comment from him but he just ignored them as he climbed into the ambulance. They showed a brief close up of his face.

E-Eiri, that's..." Tatsuha pointed to the television in shock.

"Nakano," Eiri said just as shocked as his brother was.

"That could only mean that..."

"Shuichi. No. No." Eiri didn't want to believe it.

There were people giving their comments about what they saw and how they felt about the accident.

" Damn it!" screamed one girl. "Didn't that kid's parents teach him how to cross the street?!"

This took both Eiri and Tatsuha by surprise. What did she mean by that? It couldn't have been Shuichi they were talking about...could it?

"I wish that brat would have gotten hit!" another girl snapped.

"Man, I hope he makes it through alright," a man chimed in. "I tell ya, that Shuichi Shindou is a God damn hero for saving that kid's ass!"

"Oh, God!" Tatsuha gasped. "It was Shuichi!"

Eiri's heart was pounding in his ear. Shuichi. His Shuichi was involved in that horrific accident. Buddha, help him if Shuichi doesn't make it through that ordeal alive. A thousand thoughts were going through Eiri's head. He suddenly felt dizzy.

' "I love you, Yuki." '

He had heard those words countless times over.

' "Yuki! I'm home!" '

The loud, obnoxious tone of his little lover's voice rang loud and clear in his mind.

' "Wait for me, Yuuukiii!" '

The pounding of his feet on the solid pavement trying to keep up with his blond haired lover.

' "I'll do anything for you, Yuki." '

The sweet sound of his pleading voice making his older lover give in.

' "You're the most precious thing in my life right now." '

"Ngh!" Eiri winced in pain.

"Bro!" Tatsuha gasped as he saw his big brother fall to his knees. "What's wrong?!"

"I can't..." Eiri choked.

"Can't what," Tatsuha asked calmly, "what is it?"

"I can't do this anymore!" Eiri screamed.

"Eiri." Tatsuha said rubbing his brother's back trying to sooth him.

The raven haired boy felt his brother tug tightly on his sleeve. He was crying again.

"You're right." Eiri whispered.

"Huh?" Tatsuha said dumbly.

"I do love him." The blond finally confessed.

"Oh, Eiri!" Tatsuha's face brightened.

"I need him. I need Shuichi with me. I...I'm affraid to go on without him, Tatsuha."

"Shhh. It'll be alright, bro." Tatsuha reasured Eiri.

"I need to see him." Eiri said wiping away his tears.

Tatsuha turned his head towards the television screen. The news reporter at the scene reported that Shuichi was going to be taken to Japan Red Cross Medical Center.

"Japan Red Cross Medical Center." Tatsuha repeated.

"Then let's go!" Eiri told him in desperation.

"Whoa, Eiri, wait!" Tatsuha seized his brother by the arm.

"What, damn it!" Eiri snapped.

"Listen," Tatsuha coaxed, "you need to calm down."

"I just want to see him." Eiri choked.

"I know you want to see him badly," Tatsuha continued, "but if you're going to drive down there you need to stay calm."

Eiri sat down and took a deep breath trying to relax. He closed his eyes and tried to clear his mind but he kept seeing images of Shuichi. They weren't pleasant images either. He was either bloodied, bruised, limping, or all three. Eiri could hear his lover's voice calling his name. He sounded so weak. So defenseless. His eyes no longer twinkled with happiness. Eiri's heart hurt so much just thinking about it. He needed to set things right between them and he needed to set Touma straight. Taking another deep breath, he stood up slowly.

"Alright," He said, "I'm ready. Let's go."

"Are you sure?" Tatsuha asked worried.

"Yeah." Eiri replied.

He grabbed his keys, lighter and cigarettes from the coffee table. He went to his bedroom to get his coat. When he returned, Tatsuha was ready to go. They slid their shoes on and headed out the door. They took Eiri's Mercedes. The drive took about twenty minutes. When they arrived, there were about five ambulances lined up. There were no signs of news reporters. Yet. Eiri sat in silence for a moment.

"Bro," came Tatsuha's voice, "are you sure you're ready for this?"

Eiri turned his head to look Tatsuha square in the eyes. "I've never been more ready for anything in my life, Tatsuha."

Angel Eyes Kiyone: So, what do you guys think? I'm still suffering from writer's block. So if it sucks, sorry. Either way, please r&r. Much love!


	4. Rage And Regret

Gravitation

Disclaimer: I don't own Gravitation. Maki Murakami does.

Angel Eyes Kiyone: Hey, everyone. Sorry it took so long to update. With the lack of reviews and all I really don't think I should even keep going with this story. But then again, there are those that do like it so might as well. So here it is. Enjoy. Thanks to all of you that did review. It means alot.

Eiri and Tatsuha made their way to the reception desk. Eiri didn't care who saw him without his sunglasses. He just wanted to see Shuichi. People who walked passed him stopped to turn their heads. One person said they didn't know Eiri Yuki had a twin brother. The woman behind to reception desk looked up at the both of them in shock.

"Excuse me," Eiri said to the woman, "I'm looking for Shuichi Shindou. Can you tell me which room he's in, please?"

It took a moment for the woman to get her head together. "Um...yes. He's in room 204. But you won't be able to see him right now."

"Why is that?" Eiri asked disappointed.

"He's in critical condition right now," the woman said. "Only family members are allowed to see him. I'm afraid that's all the information I can give you right now."

"Alright, thank you," Eiri sighed.

Eiri turned and walked away with Tatsuha hot on his heel. They made their way through double doors and down a hallway. Eiri had been to this hospital before so it wasn't too hard for him to find the room he was looking for. However, when he reached his destination, he saw that everyone was outside Shuichi's room waiting for an update. Fujisaki and K. had worried looks on their faces. Hiroshi stood holding a crying girl in his arms. He stroked her back gently and told her everything would be alright.

"I wonder who she is." Tatsuha whispered to Eiri.

"I haven't got the slightest clue." Eiri replied.

They came a few steps closer when suddenly, K. looked up and gasped. Hiroshi turned his head in Eiri's direction and glared at the blonde. He released the girl that was in his arms and charged at the man.

"You son of a bitch!" Hiroshi snapped.

Tatsuha jumped out of the way as Hiroshi pounced on Eiri knocking him to the floor. There were screams and shouts all around them as Hiroshi started throwing punches at the novelist. K. sprung into action and yanked the fuming red head off of Eiri. Tatsuha scrambled forward to help his brother to his feet. The blonde's jaw was red and swollen. His lower lip was bleeding. He staggered to his feet. K. and Fujisaki held Hiroshi back to keep him from harming the novelist any further.

"I guess I deserved that." Eiri said wiping his mouth.

"Yeah, that and a whole lot more you fucking bastard!" Hiroshi roared.

"Enough, Hiroshi!" K. ordered. "We're disturbing the other patients."

Eiri's eyes went to the girl standing against the wall clutching her chest. She looked back at him with tears in her eyes.

It-it's you," she stuttered, "Eiri Yuki. My brother's lover?"

"Ex-lover!" Hiroshi said trying to get free from K's tight grip.

"I don't believe it." She said softly.

"Don't talk to him, Meiko!" Hiroshi barked. "He's the reason Shuichi's in a coma right now!"

Both Eiri and Tatsuha froze. A coma? Eiri thought his heart was going to ram right through his chest. The images that he saw before of Shuichi being hurt played in his mind once again. But they vanished when a voice roared through the building.

"What the hell is going on out here?!" came a man's angry voice.

He had come from Shuichi's room. Eiri looked over at him. His eyes widened with surprise; as did Tatsuha's. The man's purple eyes flashed with anger as he looked at everyone standing outside the room. He turned his gaze towards the identical siblings.

"Who the hell are you guys?" he asked bitterly.

"Daddy, please don't make a scene." Meiko said stepping forward.

"The blond is Eiri Yuki, Mr. Shindou." Hiroshi hissed.

"What?" Tatsuha asked with wide eyes. "You're Shuichi's father?"

"I am." Mr. Shindou stated. "And who might you be?"

"He's my younger brother, sir." Eiri told the man standing before him.

Mr. Shindou stood about an inch or two taller than Eiri and Tatsuha. His hair color was the same as Meiko's, but he had Shuichi's eyes. Not only that, he also looked like Shuichi only a bit more masculine.

"Hm. So you're the famous Eiri Yuki that I've heard so much about." Mr. Shindou said.

"Yes, sir," Eiri replied hesitantly, "I am."

"The so called wonderful, loving, gentle boyfriend my idiotic son always rants on about?" Mr. Shindou asked bitterly.

That made Eiri wince. He knew how much Shuichi adored him. But he never would have thought that the bouncy, energetic fuzz ball went on about how great he was. He never once said any of those things about Shuichi. Because of his tragic past, Eiri kept his guard up at all times. Everyone that knew Shuichi knew that he was incapable of hurting anyone like that. Everyone except Touma Seguchi that is. He was the only person keeping Eiri from seeing the truth; from really moving on with his life. Eiri understood now that if he wanted to keep Shuichi in his life, he was going to have to tell him how he really felt. Constant ridicule and rejection can make a person reach their breaking point; even simple minded ones like Shuichi.

"That's the one." Hiroshi chimed in snapping the novelist out of his trance.

"Do you realize how much damage you've done?" Mr. Shindou hissed.

"Dad," Meiko said, "Shuichi was hit by a car trying to save that kid! Don't blame Mr. Yuki for something he didn't do!"

"Shuichi wouldn't be in the hospital right now if that bastard hadn't thrown him out onto the street!" Hiroshi barked.

"Yes, that's right." Mr. Shindou said in agreement. "My son wouldn't be lying in a coma right now if you hadn't thrown him out!"

Mr. Shindou grabbed Eiri by the collar. Tatsuha stared in horror at the angry man. Eiri didn't struggle or try to push the man away. He knew he deserved what was coming to him.

"If my son doesn't make it through this alive," Mr. Shindou hissed, "I'll make sure that your ass is buried right next to him!"

"Wait, sir," Tatsuha pleaded.

"It's alright, Tatsuha." Eiri said. "I know I've been an asshole towards Shuichi. He's shown me nothing but love and I just threw it all back in his face time and time again."

K., Fujisaki, and Meiko listened intently to Eiri's speech. There was regret and sadness in his voice.

"But I'm going to make up for all that." Eiri said.

"How?" Mr. Shindou asked. "My son is in a coma. The doctors say that he might never wake up."

Just then, someone else stepped out of Shuichi's room. It was a woman no taller than Meiko. Her hair color was the same as Shuichi's, but her eyes were blue like Meiko's. Her face was stained with tears. She looked around at everyone. Meiko went to her side.

"Mom," Meiko said quietly, "are you alright?"

The woman trembled. Her lips quivered and then she broke down in tears once more. Mr. Shindou released his grip on Eiri and went to comfort the woman.

"Honey," Mr. Shindou said softly, "everything will be alright. Calm down."

"His-his eyes." the woman choked. "He blinks once every five minutes."

"I know." Mr. Shindou said holding her close.

"Mrs. Shindou," Hiroshi called to her.

Mrs. Shindou broke away from her husband's grip and went over to Hiroshi. Her eyes were glistening with tears. K. slowly released Hiroshi. Mrs. Shindou took both of his hands into hers' and looked into his eyes.

"Hiroshi, please," Mrs. Shindou begged, "tell me what happened? How did this happen?"

Hiroshi glanced over at Eiri who was staring back at him. The red head's piercing blue eyes were filled with anger and hatred.

"Yeah, sure," Hiroshi said mockingly, "I'll tell you exactly what happened."

owari~

Angel Eyes Kiyone: Whoa. Soap Oprah moment. Sorry about that. Sorry that this chapter took so long. I just finished writing it. With the lack of reviews what can I say? I hope you liked it though. Keep the reviews coming if ya want to read more. And once again, Domo Arigatou to the ones that reviewed. It means a lot. Much love.


	5. What Happened

Gravitation

**Disclaimer:** I don't own Gravitation. Maki Murakami does.

**Angel Eyes Kiyone:** Oh, my gosh you guys I'm so sorry! It's been forever I know. Lost the internet for about two months. Then my brother took the computer away that has my Precious story on it so I had to transfer everything to this old computer. Oh well. Here's the next chapter.

**Hiroshi's POV**

I had just finished speaking to Ayaka on the phone when the doorbell rang. It never really came as a surprise to me. After all, Shuichi was always at my place at all different hours when Mr. Yuki put him out. I got up to open the door. Then when I did, there he was; just as I had predicted. My happy mood suddenly flew out the damned window when I saw his face. No, I wasn't angry with him. I was angry at the bastard who constantly shattered the smile that was always plastered to his face.

"Shuichi?" I said in shock. "What the hell happened?! Get in here!"

He was shaking uncontrolably from the cold. I could see the tear stains on his cheeks and his eyes were red. I grabbed the suitcases from his hands and tossed them to one side. He stepped in, struggling to remove his backpack and shoes. At this rate, tradition and rules didn't matter to me. I pulled him in and sat him down on the bed, shoes and all. I helped him take off his backpack and sweater. He curled up into a tight ball on the bed. I grabbed a warm blanket and threw it over him.

"It was him again," I said to him bitterly, "wasn't it?"

I could see him shaking his head from under the blanket. He was still shivering. I went to my closet to get another blanket. After I wrapped it around him I went into the kitchen to make him some hot chocolate. It should be able to warm him up a little. After about thirty or so minutes, he finally calmed down enough to tell me what happened. I was furious! That bastard! Why was he always making Shuichi cry?

"Shuichi," I said firmly, "you need to leave him for good! He's not good for you!"

"I know, Hiro." Shuichi responded sadly. "But I love him so much."

"You can do so much better than him, Shu!" I told him. "Look at what he's done to you? You used to be so strong. You knew what was right from what was wrong. And now look at you."

Shuichi looked down at himself. He really was a mess. Moments ago, he had been extremely happy about being home with Yuki and now he was an emotional wreck. And it was all because his koi couldn't make up his damned mind.

"He's destroyed you, Shuichi." I said sadly.

"Was I really that strong?" Shuichi asked.

"Yes," I replied, "you were."

"I don't know what to do, Hiro." Shuichi said.

"Well, I think you should leave him," I said, "but you can stay here as long as you'd like until you decide what you're gonna do."

"Thanks, Hiro." Shuichi said with a smile. "You're a real friend."

"Of course I am, moron." I teased.

"Say, Hiro," Shuichi said, "can we go for a walk?"

"Huh? Now?" I asked dumbly.

"Yeah," Shuichi replied, "I just need to clear my head right now."

"Yeah, man, sure." I said getting up from the bed.

I changed into some warm street clothes. I let Shuichi borrow my coat and gloves. I slipped into my shoes, grabbed my keys and we headed out the door. It was freezing cold; a little too cold for Fall. We walked around for a while just talking about whatever. We avoided going to the park. That was the place where Shuichi had met Mr. Yuki. We also avoided bringing up his name. I knew that if I brought it up, Shuichi would break down again. We walked for about thirty minutes or so until we came to an intersection. It was close to the NG building. Shuichi and I noticed a couple of kids running around playing some kind of game.

"What are those kids doing out here so late?" Shuichi asked.

"I wonder." I replied.

We brushed them aside. Shuichi and I weren't the only ones walking on the street at night though. Besides the kids that we saw, there were many other pedestrians. Most of them were couples holding hands, exchanging quick kisses and laughing together. I saw the look of sadness on Shuichi's face.

"Hey," I said to Shuichi trying to distract him, "we should head back now."

"Yeah." He sighed sadly.

When we turned around to head back to my apartment, we heard some girls giggling and pointing at us.

"Hey," one girl said, "isn't that Shuichi Shindou and Hiroshi Nakano of Bad Luck?"

"Oh, my God," another girl squealed, "it is them!"

"Shit!" Shuichi gasped. "We forgot our hats and sunglasses, Hiro!"

"Yeah, no kidding," I said panicking, "other way."

We turned on our heels and ran for it. Just then, we heard a loud rumbling sound. A semi truck was making its way through. It was going at speed limit down the busy road.

"You can't catch me!" I heard one of the kids shout.

"No, wait!" One of the other kids called. "Come back!"

The kid was headed straight for the damned intersection. Everyone including myself looked in horror as the kid ran into the road. That's when I saw him bolt after the kid. For a moment, I thought it was the most incredible thing I'd ever seen. Shuichi's agility and speed. It was amazing.

"Hey, kid," I heard him shout, snapping me out of my trance, "watch out!!"

The only thing I heard next after that was were screeching tires and the loud honks of two cars and the semi truck. I looked out to where Shuichi was. He grabbed the kid by his collar and flung him to the other side of the intersection onto the sidewalk.

"Shuichi!!" I screamed. But it was already too late.

A yellow car swerved trying to slow down and ended up hitting Shuichi. The impact sent him rolling over the car, into the air, and landing on his back onto the sidewalk at the boy's feet. As for the yellow car; it ended up swerving into a red car that was heading in the opposite direction. When both cars came to a halt in the middle of the intersection, they collided with the semi truck. The driver of the truck slammed on the breaks. However, the sudden halt sent the driver flying through the windshield and skidding down the road a few feet from the wreckage.

People around me were screaming and crying. But I couldn't hear any of it. My heart was beating too fast. My breathing increased. I looked over at the boy who had caused the whole thing. He was still standing there looking down at the unconcious body lying at his feet. His eyes were filled with horror.

"Someone call 911!" a man yelled.

People rushed over to Shuichi. Others rushed to the guy who went flying out of the windshield. I couldn't tell where my feet were heading, but the next thing I knew, I was standing over Shuichi's limp body; his pink hair had turned red.

"He's bleeding pretty bad!" someone yelled.

"The ambulance is on its way." said one guy holding a cel-phone.

"Is he dead?" a girl screamed.

"He still has a pulse!" a guy said holding two fingers to Shuichi's neck.

I knelt down beside him and took his hand. They were still warm. I could feel someone's hand on my shoulder.

"Are you alright, son?" he said.

My mouth opened but nothing came out. Just then, the ambulances arrived along with the police. People were told to clear the area. Minutes later, news reporters surrounded the area. They didn't waist any time. They started asking people questions about what they saw and how they felt about the whole thing. I looked up at where the kid had stood. He was long gone now.

"Where'd that stupid kid go?" I heard someone yell.

Someone started pulling me back. I looked up to see a paramedic looking down at me.

"Excuse me, sir," he said, "I'm gonna have to ask you to step aside."

I did as he said. News reporters swarmed around me at that instant. The police did all they could to hold them back. One cop pulled me out of the way and over to his car. I kept taking glances over at Shuichi's limp body.

"He's still alive." a paramedic said.

"What about the other one?" another paramedic called to his fellow paramedic.

"No pulse!" he called back.

"The driver of both those cars are dead as well." came another paramedic.

My heart skipped a beat. That damn kid! Why did he have to run into the street? The cop standing in front of me asked me what happend. But I couldn't find the words. My mouth hung open but nothing came out. I heard people screaming into the microphones.

"Damn it!" I heard a woman yell. "Didn't that kid's parents teach him how to cross the street?!"

"I wish the damned brat would have gotten hit!" another girl snapped.

"What did you say your name was, son?" the cop beside me asked.

"H-Hiroshi Nakano, sir." I said with trembling lips.

He looked at me again. I guess he hadn't realized it before.

"Hiroshi Nakano of Bad Luck?" he asked me.

"Yes, sir." I answered plainly.

"So then that boy lying unconcious over there is-"

"Shuichi Shindou, sir." I cut him off not really meaning to.

He didn't say anything after that; just stared at me in surprise. Right when I was about to say something else, I heard a man give his comment.

"Man, I hope he makes it through alright." he said. "I tell you, that Shuichi Shindou is a God damned hero for saving that kid's ass!"

That made me smile. To hear some stranger refer to my best friend as a hero was heart warming. The cop put his hand on my shoulder and pulled me over to the paramedics. They had already put Shuichi on a stretcher and placed him in the ambulance.

"How is he?" the same cop asked the paramedics.

"He's bleeding from the head," one paramedic said, "and he's in critical condition. We're taking him to Japan Red Cross Medical Center."

"We need someone to go with him." another paramedic said.

"I'll go." I said suddenly.

"What's your name?" asked the first paramedic.

"This is Hiroshi Nakano of Bad Luck." the cop said.

Silence. They all looked at me in shock.

"Yeah," the cop said, "I had that same expression."

"So, the boy in the ambulance is-"

"Shuichi Shindou." the cop and I said in unison.

"I thought he looked familiar." the paramedic said.

"Hey!" yelled another paramedic. "The truck driver is dead. We can't seem to get his heart going."

"Dead on the scene!" the first paramedic called back.

My heart lurched. What if Shuichi doesn't make it? What if he dies on the way to the hospital? I started trembling.

"Alright, Mr. Nakano," the second paramedic said, "come with us."

"Keep your head up, son." the cop said. "He'll make it through."

"Thank you, sir." I said smiling.

I followed the paramedics to the ambulance. Reporters were calling out to me. It was obvious that they wanted answers to their questions. I ignored them and climbed in. No way was I going to give them the satisfaction of hearing about what happend to my best friend. I sat next to his limp body. The paramedics had hooked him up to a heart monitor and a breathing mask was placed over his face. I took his left hand in my hands. There was no way I could hold back the tears that were now streaming down my face.

"Sh-Shuichi." I sniffed. "Please hold on. Please don't leave me."

I looked at him closely. His eyes were now open. One of the paramedics riding with me came over and checked on him.

"Shuichi?" I asked seeing if he could hear me. They shined a small flash light in his eyes.

"This is bad." the paramedic said.

"What is it?" I asked.

"He's in a coma." he said.

"Oh, God." I said in shock.

"You should call his family." the other paramedic said.

I pulled out my cel-phone. My hands trembled as I dialed his parents' number. Their house phone rang a few times. Finally someone picked up.

"Moshi-moshi?" came a woman's voice. It was his mom.

"Um...hello, Mrs. Shindou," I said nervously, "it's Hiroshi."

"Oh, Hiroshi," she said in a surprisingly panicky voice, "is everything alright? I just got this sharp pain in my chest and then Shuichi just came to my mind."

'Oh no' I thought to myself. 'Mother's intuition.'

"Um, well about Shuichi." I said softly.

"What happened, Hiroshi?" she said panicking. "What happened to my baby?!"

"Um...we're on the way to the hospital right now." I told her.

I could hear her husband's voice in the background asking what happened. I heard her say Shuichi was going to the hospital. He took the phone from her and started screaming into the mouth piece.

"Mr. Shindou, please calm down." I said holding the phone away from my ear. At least now I know which parent Shuichi gets his lungs from.

"Which hospital is he going to?!" the man hissed.

"Japan Red Cross Medical Center." I told him.

"What's his condition?" he asked frantically, "Do you know, Hiroshi?!"

"He's in critical condition, sir." I choked. "Plus, he's also in-hello?"

He hung up on me. This was going to be harder than I thought. I decided to call K. and Fujisaki and tell them the news. K. told me he would be at the hospital immediately and pick up Fujisaki on the way there. I didn't want to worry Ayaka, so I decided not to call her. I didn't have Mr. Sakuma's number, so I couldn't call him. He would probably go into hysterics anyways. Besides, he's going out with Eiri Yuki's younger brother, Tatsuha. The last thing I need right now is their drama. And then there was Eiri Yuki himself. My blood started to boil. I hadn't realized that I was squeezing Shuichi's hand.

"I'm sorry, Shu!" I apologized forgetting for a second that he couldn't hear me.

Within moments, we were at the hospital. The paramedics rushed over to the ambulance I was in with Shuichi and carefully lifted him out. I followed close behind. He was sent to room 204. They sent doctors in to check to see if he had any other injuries. I waited outside his room. Just then, K. and Fujisaki showed up; both were gasping for air. Knowing K., he was one crazy driver. No wonder he got here so quick. About twenty minutes later, Shuichi's parents and younger sister showed up. Both women were crying. Mr. Shindou on the other hand was fuming.

"Mr. Shindou, I-" I started, but he cut me off.

"First of all," he said, "let me start off by asking what the hell you two were doing out on the streets so late, Hiroshi!?"

"Well, you see," I said nervously, "Shuichi's boyfriend kicked him out of his apartment."

"Is that so?" Mr. Shindou spat. "That Eiri Yuki guy, right?"

"Yes, sir." I replied.

"And what happened after that?" Mr. Shindou asked.

"Shuichi came over to my apartment." I said. "He was really upset. He had walked all the way to my place in the cold with all of his suitcases."

"Oh, God." Mrs. Shindou said with a hand over her mouth.

"I took him in and covered him up because he was shivering like crazy." I continued. "I asked him if it was because of Yuki and he shook his head yes-"

"Ok!" Mr. Shindou said irritated. "Just get to the part where Shuichi got hurt!"

"Oh, well," I went on, "Shuichi told me he wanted to go for a walk to clear his head. I really didn't want to since it was so late, but I didn't want him to be upset so I said ok. Anyways, we left my apartment and walked around for about thirty minutes or so."

I stopped to catch my breath for a minute.

"We saw these kids running around on the sidewalk near the intersection. There was a semi truck coming and one of the kids ran out into the street. Then when we saw the semi truck coming at him, Shuichi took off to go save the kid."

I fought to hold back the tears that were welling up in my eyes.

"I-it must have been the adrenaline rush or something," I went on, "because Shuichi picked the kid up with one hand and flung him to the other side of the street. But a yellow car came speeding towards him. The person t-tried to slow down, but they ended up hitting Shuichi anyways. Then that car ended up getting rammed by the semi truck along with another car."

"Oh, my God!" Meiko shrieked.

"The impact sent Shuichi flying into the air and landing on his back on the other side of the street where the kid was standing. I think he hit his head pretty bad too."

"My baby." Mrs. Shindou whaled. "My poor baby!"

"When the paramedics showed up," I went on, "they said that all the other victoms were dead. When we got into the ambulance, they hooked Shuichi up to machine. His eyes were open, but he wasn't responding. Then one of the paramedics checked his eyes and he said that Shuichi was in a coma."

"A coma." Mr. and Mrs. Shindou said in unison.

Meiko broke down. A doctor stepped out of Shuichi's room and approached me.

"Are you Hiroshi Nakano?" he asked me.

"Yes, sir," I said, "I am. But those are Shuichi's parents and little sister."

He turned to face Shuichi's family. I went over to Meiko and held her in my arms.

"Mr. and Mrs. Shindou?" the docter asked. "I'm doctor Satoshi." He shook both their hands.

"How is my son doing, doctor?" Mr. Shindou asked.

"Well," Dr. Satoshi said, "Shuichi landed pretty hard onto the concrete. There aren't any signs of brain damage, but he was bleeding from the head pretty badly."

"Oh, God!" Mrs. Shindou sobbed.

"Will he be ok?" Mr. Shindou asked.

"Well, we checked the wave lengths in his brain." Dr. Satoshi continued. "But, by the looks of it, I don't think he's going to wake up."

Meiko trembled violently in my arms. My mind was going haywire. That bastard's face flashed across my mind. So many times he had made Shuichi cry and yet, he just keeps taking him back. And Shuichi, being the simple minded love sick puppy that he is, just can't say no to the asshole. My blood began to boil once again.

"Can we at least go in and see him?' Mrs. Shindou asked.

"Yes, ma'am." Dr. Satoshi replied. "Just give us a couple of minutes."

"Alright, thank you." Mr. Shindou said.

Mr. Shindou looked over at K. and Fujisaki and then me.

"And they are?" he asked me.

"Oh, this is Suguru Fujisaki, our band mate." I told him pointing to Fujisaki. "And he is our music manager, Mr. K."

Mrs. Shindou looked him up and down then frowned.

"Hm. I had no idea Americans knew so much about Asian music."

"Honey!" Mr. Shindou scolded.

I saw K. give her the "What the hell?" look. Fujisaki gulped and stepped in front of K. affraid of what he might do. Just then, Dr. Satoshi came out followed by the other doctor's that were operating on Shuichi.

"Alright, Mr. and Mrs. Shindou," Dr. Satoshi said. "You may see him now. Just try not to touch his head. We had to give him twelve stitches in his head to stop the bleeding."

"Alright." Mrs. Shindou replied. "Meiko, honey, are you coming?"

I could feel her shaking her head. Mr. and Mrs. Shindou went in without her. She held onto me tighter. In the room, I could hear Mrs. Shindou's whispered sobs. I knew Shuichi would kill me for telling his parents about what happened if he ever woke up. But they had every right to know what happened to their son.

**Owari~**

**Angel Eyes Kiyone:** Oh, my gosh. you guys. I am so sorry if I took too long to update. Supposedly the computer needed to be "fixed" so my older brother took it away for a while. Then he erased my Precious file along with some other stories I wrote. But anyways, sorry if this chapter sucks. It's not writer's block. It's just the absence of my muses. I know this chapter might not make sence considering that I'm retelling chapter 4. I just realized it myself. I hope it'll get better in the next chapter. Grrr! Where the hell are my muses?!?! Oh, and thanks to all of you who reviewed. They mean alot. I almost cried yesterday when I read one of my e-mails saying that this story was pulling at one of my reader's heart strings. *cookies to you* actually cookies and chips and pizza to all of my readers. I love you guys!! Stay tuned for the next chapter!!


	6. So Close, Yet Too Far

**Gravitation**

**Disclaimer:** I don't own Gravitation. Maki Murakami does.

**Angel Eyes Kiyone: **Hello again everyone. Sorry this one took so long to update. I had to deal with a mouse and keyboard malfunction. Anyways, I hope you enjoy it.

Hiroshi had finished telling the Shindou family everything that happened. Meiko was in disbelief. Mrs. Shindou turned to face Eiri. There was no expression or emotion on her face what so ever. Tatsuha took a step back as the woman walked towards his big brother. For a few seconds, he couldn't tell what he had just heard. To him it sounded like a gunshot. It scared the boy speechless. He looked at his brother whoes head looked like it had almost been twisted all the way around. Blood was trickling down from his bottom lip. Tatsuha looked back at the woman who now had tears in her eyes and anger written all over her face. He realized now that it wasn't a gunshot he heard. It was a slap in the face.

"You sure had me fooled, Eiri Yuki." Mrs. Shindou said bitterly. "A romance author. Someone that I thought understood feelings and emotions. Someone I thought knew the meaning of love. But I see now that you're someone who doesn't even practice what he preaches."

"Come to think of it," Meiko chimed in, "all of his stories that I've read have tragic endings."

Eiri looked at the woman blankly. Hiroshi, K., and Fujisaki stared in shock. "I loved reading your books." Mrs. Shindou went on. "I could hardly wait for the next one to come out. And as soon as I heard about it, Meiko and I would go out and buy it."

Eiri stared dumbly at the woman. How was he going to answer to that? Was this going to ruin his reputation? He so desperately wanted to see Shuichi. But with the way things are going now, Eiri didn't think he stood a chance in hell of seeing his lover anytime soon.

"So tell me," Mrs. Shindou said snapping the novelist out of his trance, "what do I have to look forward to now?"

"Wait, Mrs. Shindou," Tatsuha interupted, "please-"

"**Excuse me**!" Mrs. Shindou snapped. "I believe I was talking to _**him**_, not** you**! Who are _you_ anyways?!"

"It's alright, Tatsuha," Eiri said softly pushing Tatsuha back, "I'll handle it alone. He's my little brother, Mrs. Shindou."

"Whatever," Mrs. Shindou said irritated, "just answer my question. What do I have to look forward to now?"

"Listen," Eiri said softly to the woman, "I'll tell you like I told your husband. I know I've been an asshole towards Shuichi. He's shown me nothing but pure love and yet, I still pushed him away."

"Why?" Mrs. Shindou asked bluntly.

Eiri took a deep breath and closed his eyes. No way in hell was he about to explain his dark past to everyone standing in front of him.

"I guess I just had a difficult time trusting him." he said plainly.

"A difficult time trusting him?" Mr. Shindou laughed. "Good God, boy! What makes you think that Shuichi is capable of hurting you? Or anyone for that matter?"

"Well," Eiri continued, "I used to be alot like him when I was young."

"Is that so?" Mr. Shindou asked mockingly. "What happened that made you change?"

_'Oh God' _Eiri thought to himself.

"Excuse me," came a voice from behind Eiri, "is everything okay here? We got a message about a disturbance."

"Actually, we were just leaving." Tatsuha said pulling Eiri along with him.

"Hold on one minute!" Mr. Shindou barked.

Excuse me, sir," said the security guard, "but I think it's best they leave now. As a matter of fact, visiting hours have long since ended. You should all go now."

"Understood." Tatsuha said abruptly. As he and Eiri turned to leave, they heard Hiroshi's voice.

"This isn't over yet, Eiri Yuki." the red head said in a low venomous tone.

Eiri turned his head to look at the younger male. He scowled at the boy in annoyance. Then he turned and walked off with his younger brother in toe. As soon as they left the building and got to Eiri's car, they waited for a while.

"You gonna go back in and see him?" Tatsuha asked.

"I didn't drive all the way here for nothing." Eiri replied coldly.

"Well, glad to see you're back to your old self again." Tatsuha joked. "Damn. She sure messed you up good."

"Shut up." Eiri said rubbing his jaw. "And if you tell Seguchi and Mika about any of that, I'll kill you, twerp."

"Oh, yeah," Tatsuha said in mock humor, "like I'm gonna tell Touma about you breaking down after seeing the news. Yeah right. Besides, I think this is probably the most we've ever bonded in a long time."

"Whatever," Eiri said blushing, "just keep your damned mouth shut, alright?"

"Okay, okay!" Tatsuha said holding up his hands in defense. "Shit, don't have a cow!"

"No, that's Mika's job." Eiri said in mock amusement.

"What's that supposed to mean?" Tatsuha asked confused.

"She and Seguchi still don't know that you and Sakuma are dating."

"Yeah, so?" Tatsuha said still confused.

"Well, if you don't want big sis to have a cow, I suggest you keep your trap shut."

"Hah!" Tatsuha laughed. "They're bound to find out sooner or later anyways!"

"Well," Eiri continued, "if you want her to have a miscarriege, then by all means, go ahead."

"W-what?!" Tatsuha said surprised. "You m-mean she's..."

"What, she didn't tell you?"

"No. Huh. I guess that explains why she's been in a bitchy mood lately."

"I can't believe she didn't tell you." Eiri said rolling his eyes.

"When did she tell you?" Tatsuha asked.

"Two weeks ago." Eiri continued. "She just waltzed right in without knocking as usual and threw her arms around me."

"Hahaha! Well, sis always wanted to have kids of her own." Tatsuha said amused. "We're going to be uncles. Uncle Eiri and Uncle Tatsuha. I like the way that sounds!"

"Whatever." Eiri snorted.

"Oh, look." Tatsuha said pointing out the window. "They're finally leaving."

"Good." Eiri said. "Keep your head down."

Tatsuha slouched in his seat so no one would get a glimpse of him. Eiri rested his forehead on the steering wheel. They were about eight cars down from where K. and the rest were parked. Hopefully no one would be able to spot them from the distance they were at in the car.

"Hah! There's the gaijin." Tatsuha pointed out.

"Oh, good." Eiri whispered. "The sooner he's out of the way, the better."

Hiroshi made his way over to the Shindou family's side. Mrs. Shindou stepped forward and hugged him; as did Meiko. Mr. Shindou patted his shoulder. Neither Tatsuha or Eiri could make out what he or any of them were saying. With a nod of the head, Hiroshi parted from them and got into a black Sudan with K. and Fujisaki.

Five minutes passed by before the Shindou family took off. K. drove off three minutes later. Eiri let out a sigh of relief. Tatsuha readjusted himself in his seat.

"Finally." Tatsuha said. "I thought they were never gonna leave."

"I'm going in now." Eiri said getting out of the car.

"Wait," Tatsuha said, "I'm coming too."

"FIne." Eiri said. "Hurry up."

**Mean while...**

Back at NG Records, Touma Seguchi was getting ready to head home. His wife Mika, Eiri and Tatsuha's older sister, had called to check on him. She was getting frustrated with him always being gone. She told him that he spends more time at work than he does with her.

"I'll be home soon, Mika," he said to her in his usual calm voice, "don't worry."

"I need you to come home now, Touma!" Mika yelled into the mouth piece. "Your unborn child needs you! Is this how it's always going to be? You spend most of your **precious** time at work while your wife and child stay home worrying about you?!"

"Now, Mika," Touma said narrowing his eyes, "that's not fair."

"Who said anything about being fair?!" she screamed again. "You better bring your ass home now or you can sleep on the couch for the next **nine months**!"

She hung up the phone. Touma let out a long irritated sigh. "I'd rather sleep anywhere else than with you." he said flipping his celphone shut. "Particularly with my sweet Eiri."

Touma turned on the flat screen t.v. that hung on the wall in his office. The accident was still the big issue. An evil smile crept over Touma's face.

"Hm. Looks like I didn't have to get my hands dirty after all." he said devilishly to himself. "Sweet dreams, Mr. Shindou."

Little did Touma know, another sneaky little devil was lurking outside his office door. He shut off the tape recorder in his hands. It was one of the high class devices that he saw K. using at one point.

"Touma, you bastard." the man said to himself. "Band mate or no band mate, I won't let you ruin Shuichi's life."

Although Shuichi was lying in a coma, this man had a strong feeling that it wouldn't last long. He quietly tiptoed away from Touma's office door and to the elevator. He made his way out the door and over to where his limo was waiting.

'Tatsuha told me about your manipulative ways,' he thought to himself, 'but I just never believed him. Boy was I a fool. Well, two can play at that game, Touma Seguchi.'

**Owari~**

**Angel Eyes Kiyone**: There you go. I hope you enjoyed reading it. Sorry about the sudden dramatic change with Eiri and Tatsuha in the parking lot. I really didn't know what else to do. Well, reviews are most appreciated. Love you all!!


	7. Just A Touch Of Hope

**Gravitation**

**Disclaimer: **I don't own Gravitation. Maki Murakami does.

**Angel Eyes Kiyone**: Hey. There aren't a lot of reviews, but I think I'll update anyways just for the hell of it. So here it is. Eiri finally gets to see Shuichi. So enjoy.

The three men drove home in silence. Hiroshi was starting to feel uncomfortable. K. glanced at him worriedly.

"Is something on your mind, Hiroshi?" K. asked.

"Do you guys think I over did it?" Hiroshi asked. "I mean, do you think that I was being a little too over protective?"

"Possessive is more like it." Fujisaki admitted.

"Now, I wouldn't say that." K. said not taking his eyes off of the road. "However, I do think that you went way overboard threatening Mr. Yuki like that."

"I really do hate that guy." Hiroshi said bitterly.

"And why is that?" K. asked.

"He's constantly hurting Shuichi!" Hiroshi hissed. "I just don't understand why! He doesn't deserve him! He cheats on him; he throws him out for no reason; I mean he treats Shuichi like he's a toy, or-or a piece of meat!"

"Okay," K. said, "so you were right, Fujisaki. He is being possessive."

"What?" Hiroshi said with wide eyes.

"See?" Fujisaki said simply.

"…Am I really?" Hiroshi asked.

"You are." K. stated. "Listen, Hiroshi. I understand that you care dearly for Shuichi. However, you have to understand that Shuichi is a human being just like the rest of us.' He must be able to make his own decisions whether they are right or wrong."

Hiroshi could only sigh. To him, Shuichi would always come first. But he also knew that K. was right. Shuichi needed to learn how to make his own decisions even though they are not always the right ones. He was not Shuichi's father. He was his best friend; maybe even a big brother figure; but nothing more than that.

"Look," K. said breaking the silence once again, "let's just keep our fingers crossed and hope that he pulls through, alright?"

"Yeah," Hiroshi whispered.

They drove the rest of the way in complete silence. K. dropped Fujisaki off first. Then he drove Hiroshi back to his apartment. Hiroshi got out of the car without saying a word and walked up the stairs. K. took in a deep breath and drove off.

Once he was inside, Hiroshi removed his shoes and sat down on his bed. He felt exhausted. Sleep was trying to over power him, but he fought against it. The apartment was quiet. Not too long ago, Shuichi was there, spilling his guts to his best friend and now he's lying in a hospital bed. On his night stand, there was a silver picture frame. In it was a photo of him and Shuichi when they were still in high school. Shuichi's hair was a little bit longer then. He had that big goofy grin plastered to his face. His eyes were filled with life and energy. Hiroshi picked up the picture from the night stand. He ran his fingers over Shuichi's face.

"Shuichi." He whispered sadly to himself. He squeezed the picture frame close to his chest. "You've got to hold on, Shuichi. Please don't leave me."

**Mean while**

Eiri and Tatsuha had somehow managed to sneak back into the hospital without being seen.

"It's only a matter of time before they see us on camera." Tatsuha whispered.

"So what," Eiri said rolling his eyes. "I'm not leaving until I see him."

Tatsuha sighed heavily. They made their way to room 204 without being spotted. Eiri's heart started to beat wildly as he froze right in front of the door.

"Bro?" Tatsuha said placing a hand on Eiri's shoulder. "You okay?"

Eiri took a deep breath and grabbed hold of the door knob.

"I can do this." He told himself.

Not wasting anymore time, Eiri twisted the knob and flung open the door without letting it go. He stepped inside first taking note of the empty bed next to the door. Slowly and quietly, Eiri and Tatsuha made their way over to the other side of the room. The sound of a heart monitor could be heard loud and clear. When he reached the bed, Eiri's breath caught in his throat and his heart did a one-eighty. Shuichi was lying there with an I.V. in his right arm. The top of his head was completely wrapped in bandages. A breathing mask had been placed over his face. Tatsuha began to tremble.

"Dear Buddha." He whispered.

The novelist plopped down into a chair next to the bed. With a trembling hand, he reached out and took Shuichi's hand making sure not to touch his I.V.

"Shuichi," Eiri whispered softly.

Eiri could see strands of pink hair underneath the bandages. Those big purple eyes were wide open, but no one was home. Eiri suddenly felt a rush of hope when he saw Shuichi blink.

"Shu," Eiri called his name hoping he would hear him, "Baby? It's me."

"Eiri." Tatsuha's called to him, "He can't hear you. He only blinks once every five minutes, remember?"

Mrs. Shindou's voice came screaming in Eiri's mind.

'He only blinks once every five minutes.'

Mr. Shindou's voice echoed in his head once more.

'It is your fault my son is lying in a coma right now.'

Those words stung Eiri like a thousand bees.

"It _**is**_ my fault." Eiri confessed.

"Bro?" Tatsuha said confused.

"You're here because of me." Eiri went on. "You're here because I'm afraid to face my past."

Tatsuha looked at the older boy lying in on the hospital bed. Eiri still had a hold of his right hand.

"P-please don't go." Eiri whispered.

Something out the corner of Tatsuha's eye caught his attention. He looked at the hand Eiri was holding carefully. His eyes went wide at what he saw.

"Bro." Tatsuha called quietly to Eiri.

"What?" Eiri sniffed.

"Look," Tatsuha said pointing to Shuichi's hand, "Look, his fingers moved."

"Sh-Shuichi." Eiri called his name again.

He looked down at Shuichi's hand. The index, middle, and ring finger twitched not once, but twice. Tatsuha couldn't help but smile. The two siblings exchanged glances. Eiri squeezed Shuichi's hand gently.

"You better not give up on me, brat." He said now filled with a touch of hope.

**Owari~**

**Angel Eyes Kiyone:** So there you go! No more cliff hanger or whatever you call it. I know this chapter is pretty crappy, but I had to just get the damn thing over with. I know a lot of you might be pissed. Forgive me my loyal readers. *bows on hands and knees in front of her readers.* Please spare me my life! Let the reviews flow and I'll update as soon as I can. The next chapter is about a bitchy Mika making accusations at a manipulative Tohma. And Eiri starts having strange dreams? So keep reading.


	8. Dream Sequence Part I

**Gravitation**

**Disclaimer**: I don't own Gravitation. Maki Murakami does.

**Angel Eyes Kiyone**: Sorry for the delay. I just haven't been in a writing mood lately what with school and work. My Muss left me and ran off with Cupid! So this chapter won't be all that great. But to all of my loyal readers, here you go.

Eiri woke up late in the afternoon. He really didn't feel like getting out of bed, but he had slept late enough as it is. So many thoughts were swirling around in his head. His lover was lying in a hospital bed in a coma. His so called brother-in-law was out of control. And if that wasn't bad enough, his older sister was pregnant with the guy's baby. Eiri didn't know what he was going to do He knew that Touma wasn't responsible for what happened to Shuichi. But for some reason he couldn't help but grit his teeth when he thought about the master manipulator.

It was only last night that Touma showed up at Eiri's door. It was the night he told him to get rid of Shuichi; the night he had threatened to kill the boy himself if Eiri didn't act fast.

"The sooner he's out of your life, the better." Touma had said just before walking out the door.

"Damn you to hell, Seguchi." Eiri hissed clutching the sheets.

He got out of bed and left the room dressed in only his pajama bottoms. He made his way to the living room and sat down on the couch. There was a note lying on the coffee table in front of him.

"Hm, twerp actually left a note for once." Eiri said to himself as he grabbed the note from the coffee table and began to read it.

Dear bro,

I decided to go home. Thanks for letting me crash at your place. I had fun. Don't worry, I won't tell dad or sis about our "brotherly bonding moment." If you see Shu, tell him Ryu and I hope he pulls through.

Love, Tatsuha

Wrinkling his nose, Eiri crumpled up the paper and tossed it aside. He hated when Tatsuha and Ryuichi called his lover by his nickname. It was bad enough that the thirty-one year old was dating his baby brother. The two had a fifteen year age gap between them. However, Tatsuha made it very clear to his big brother that he didn't give a damn.

"That little slut," Eiri mumbled to himself. It made Eiri sick to hear his brother ramble on about the older rock star.

Eiri turned the television on and went to the kitchen to find something to eat. He prepared scrambled eggs and toast with his usual coffee. After he cleaned his plate and washed his dishes, he went to his office to work on his story.

One whole hour passed by and Eiri couldn't think of anything else to write. His index finger tapped repeatedly on the H key. Thoughts that he was having before were returning. Rubbing his eyes, Eiri got up and left his office. He returned to his bedroom and switched on the radio. There was still work to be done, but he couldn't shake the terrible images from his head. He lay down on the bed and closed his eyes. A few minutes later, he drifted off. The sound of the music surrounded him in his sleep.

"Take the children and yourself"

"And hide out in the cellar"

"By now the fighting will be close at hand"

"Don't believe the church and state"

"And everything they tell you"

"Believe in me, I'm with the high command"

Footsteps. His footsteps. That's all he heard as he searched frantically for what he needed. The voices kept following him; torturing him without mercy.

"Eiriiiiiii." Came an all too familiar voice he knew very well.

The boy did not respond. He just kept running. He kept searching. Fear came pouring down on him. It stung his eyes and caused his vision to blur.

"Can you hear me?"

"Can you hear me running?"

"Can you hear me running; can you hear me calling you?"

"Come to me," Came a soft delicate voice.

That voice, the voice he was looking for. It pushed him to run faster. But the treacherous voices grew louder.

"Be a good boy," Came a sickening American voice.

He tried to scream out but no sound came. His clothes were now soaked. It made it difficult for him to run at full speed. He was starting to slow down.

"No!" His mind screamed out. "Someone help me!"

"There's a gun and ammunition"

"Just inside the doorway"

"Use it only in emergency"

"Better you should pray to God"

"The Father and the Spirit"

"Will guide you and protect you from up here"

"Yuki," Came that delicate voice again. "Come to me. I won't let them hurt you."

"Can you hear me, can you hear me running?"

"Can you hear me running; can you hear me calling you?"

"Can you hear me, can you hear me running?"

"Can you hear me running; can you hear me calling you?"

The next thing he knew he was sitting up in his bed in a cold sweat. The radio was still playing the song he heard in his dream. Before the song could finish, Eiri turned off the radio.

"Damn it." He groaned. "What the hell was that?"

Eiri looked at the alarm clock on the night stand. Only five minutes had passed by while he was asleep. Going back to sleep was out of the question. Instead, Eiri decided to get back to work on his novel.

Mean while…

Mr. Shindou was sitting at the dining table looking over some paperwork. He looked up from his work to see his wife walking over to the sofa.

"Honey?" He called to her. "Are you alright?"

She did not respond. Quietly, she just sat there on the sofa staring at the television screen. Mr. Shindou, knowing very well that he was not going to get a response from her sitting at a far distance, got up and went to the sofa.

"What's the matter?" Mr. Shindou asked his wife softly.

"…Do you remember that question he asked us that day?"

"What question?" Mr. Shindou asked confused.

"It was his freshman year of high school." Mrs. Shindou continued. "He came home crying. He took off his shoes, threw down his backpack, and ran to his bedroom crying. "He told us he wanted to be alone for awhile. Do you remember?"

Mr. Shindou looked away from his wife. He didn't want to remember that day. His wife went crazy with rage. His fifteen year old son had walked into the living room with tears streaming down his face. The question be asked them hurt like hell.

FLASHBACK

"I should probably go check on him." Mrs. Shindou insisted getting up from the couch.

"Honey, no!" Mr. Shindou said holding onto her arm. "Just let him be for a while. He'll talk when he's ready."

Just then, Shuichi's bedroom door opened and he walked out with his head hanging down. Mr. Shindou turned his head to look at his son.

"Shuichi, honey," Mrs. Shindou said reaching out to her son. "What's wrong?"

"Did something happen at school?" Mr. Shindou asked.

The boy looked up. Tears were streaming down his face. There was utter sadness in his eyes. What could have possibly happened to make him so sad?

"Mom, Dad," the boy said in a sad voice, "can I ask you something?"

"Of course, son," Mr. Shindou replied. "what is it?"

"D-do you guys," he said with trembling lips, "regret having me?"

There was silence for a moment. Then Mr. Shindou could have sworn he heard a gun go off. The next thing he knew, he saw Shuichi on the ground holding his right cheek. What the hell just happened?

"**Why would you ask us a question like that?" **Mrs. Shindou screamed. "**Go to your room, now!**"

** "**Honey?" Mr. Shindou said dumbfounded.

It was like a broken record. All the man could hear was the words "regret having me." Shuichi had retreated back to his room without another word. Meiko who had heard her mother scream at the top of her lungs, came out to see what all the commotion was about. She watched as her older brother quietly walked back to his room and close the door. Mrs. Shindou broke down crying.

"Why?" the woman asked hysterically. "Why would he even ask us such a thing?"

"Honey calm down." Mr. Shindou said trying to sooth his hysterical wife.

"I thought I was being a good mother." Mrs. Shindou sobbed. "What did I do wrong?"

"You haven't done anything wrong." Her husband reassured her. "Just relax and I'll go talk to him."

Mr. Shindou left his wife's side and went to his son's room. He walked passed Meiko who was making her way over to her mother.

"Not now, Meiko." Mr. Shindou called to her. "Your mother is a bit distraught right now."

When he approached the door, Mr. Shindou put his head against the door. He could hear Shuichi's quiet sobs through the door. The older man took a deep breath and knocked on the door.

"Shuichi?" Mr. Shindou called to his son. "I'm coming in, okay?"

Mr. Shindou opened the door and walked in to find his son lying on the bed faced down. He walked over to the bed and sat down next to his son.

"Shuichi." Mr. Shindou said softly. "Come on, buddy, sit up. We need to talk."

The boy did as he was told. He kept his head down while he wiped his tears away. Mr. Shindou took another deep breath.

"Shuichi," the man began, "why…would you ask your mother and I…er…if we regret having you?"

"B-because *hick*."The boy sobbed.

"Because what?" Mr. Shindou asked. "Did something happen at school today?"

"*sniff* Mm-mm-hmm." he sobbed.

"What is it?" Mr. Shindou coaxed. "Were the other kids picking on you?"

"*sniff* Mm-hm *hisk*" Shuichi sobbed.

"What kind of things were they saying about you?" Mr. Shindou asked.

"*hick* Th-they said that I-I was *hick* r-retarded a-and t-that I should have never been born because I'm too stupid."

"Why would they say something like that to you, Shuichi?" Mr. Shindou asked as he felt his blood boiling.

"I don't know." Shuichi whimpered. "Probably because th-the teacher a-asked me a question in class today, and I didn't know the answer t-to it."

"I see." Mr. Shindou said simply.

He knew that Shuichi wasn't exactly the brightest kid in his class, but to go that far to put someone down like that was inexcusable and cold hearted.

"Shuichi, listen to me." Mr. Shindou said firmly. "Don't ever listen to what the kids in class say to you. Their only joy in life is bringing other people down because _they_ think it makes them look good. But you keep your head up, okay?"

"*sniff* Yes." Shuichi replied wiping away his tears.

"At it boy!" Mr. Shindou said punching Shuichi playfully in the shoulder. "A Shindou always gets back up when he's knocked down. Remember that, Shuichi.

**Always**."

END FLASHBACK

"Hm, I remember." Mr. Shindou said. "He met Hiroshi the very next day, didn't he?"

"Yes." Mrs. Shindou replied. "Bless his heart."

"That kid's got a good head on his shoulder." Mr. Shindou stated.

"Indeed." Mrs. Shindou said with a wicked smile on her face. "You know, I wouldn't mind having him for a son-in-law."

"Me neither." Mr. Shindou said with a glint in his eye.

Mrs. Shindou nearly fell off of the couch. Did she hear him right? Her husband actually agreed with her on such a matter? Or was that sarcasm in his voice? She couldn't tell.

"Dear, did you hear what I just said?" Mrs. Shindou asked just to make sure he heard her properly.

"Oh, yeah," Mr. Shindou nodded. "I heard you."

The woman sat on the couch staring dumbly at her husband. Mouth agape, she tried to find the right words to respond with, but nothing came out.

"I'm going to go check on Meiko." Mr. Shindou said getting up from the couch.

"Er-uh-bu…" Mrs. Shindou stuttered. She just couldn't believe it.

**~Owari~**

**Angel Eyes Kiyone:** Sorry guys. This is all I can come up with at the moment. It's pathetic, I know. But I've fallen short on inspiration lately. *sigh* Where is my Muss when I need her/him? Oh well. Reviews are welcome. Thank you to all my loyal readers. I will start on the next chapter when I find the time.


	9. Dream Sequence Part II

**Gravitation**

**Disclaimer: **I don't own Gravitation. Maki Murakami does.

**Angel Eyes Kiyone**: Hey, everyone. Sorry it's been a while. The house computer hasn't been working. And I wasn't sure if the laptop I was using had Microsoft Word. However, I was unaware that WordPad worked just as well. I know alot of you guys have been wondering what happened to this story. Don't worry, I haven't forgotten about it. This is another dream sequence. But I promise you, after this chapter, things will start moving forward. So, please read and review.

A month passed by since the accident. Eiri had tried over and over again to get in to see Shuichi. But each time, he had either beeen turned away, or nearly caught by Shuichi's family. The novelist had run into his baby sister, Maiko, who had shoved one of his novels at him and stormed off.

"I had wanted to be a novelist someday too." She said sadly. "To think that the person that had inspired me was a cold hearted jack-ass."

Eiri would have been okay with this comment if it wasn't for Maiko throwing his book back at him. No female had ever done that to him before. So when the book hit his chest, he flinched. With that, the girl walked off, leaving the novelist just standing there.

Eiri felt empty. For once, he was having trouble gathering his thoughts. But one thing that he did find odd was that Touma hadn't called him or dropped by to see him since the accident. Eiri couldn't help but wonder what the hell was wrong with the man. Right now he hated him more than anything else. But Eiri wasn't stupid. If Touma hadn't checked up on him in a month, something was seriously wrong.

Night after night, Eiri found himself having the same dream. He could hear the voices of his past. But he also heard Shuichi's sweet Angelic voice calling out to him. The same vision would come into his mind. His sweet Angel was covered with bruises. He could barely walk and blood was trickling down his mouth. His clothes were torn and his hair was a mess. Eiri couldn't understand why he was having this reacuring vision. It made him sick to think about it. He needed to clear his head. He grabbed his coat, keys and sunglasses, then headed out the door. It was a bit nippy outside. But Eiri didn't seem to mind. He walked down the street avoiding all the stares he was getting from other pedestrians. He heard a girl say his name, but he ignored her and kept on walking. He avoided going through the park. That place was where it all started for him and Shuichi. That was the place that sealed their fate.

Distracted by his thoughts, Eiri ended up running into someone.

"Excuse me." He said plainly. He kept on going.

"Oh, it's you!" The person called after him. Eiri Yuki."

Eiri turned his head to look at the person who called out to him. He recognized the person instantly.

"Oh, you." Eiri said plainly. "Sakano."

"What a surprise." Mr. Sakano smiled. "What are you doing out here so late?"

"I could ask you the same question." Eiri said bluntly.

"Oh! I apologize!" Sakano said rather dramatically. "I was on my way home from the studio. It was quite a busy day."

"Was Seguchi there?" Eiri decided to ask.

"Why, yes." Mr. Sakano said with laughter in his voice which made Eiri role his eyes. "He was there today. There were quite a number of new bands he was meeting with."

"Hm. I see." Eiri said suspiciously.

"So," Mr. Sakano continued, "have you been able to see Shindou at all?"

Eiri looked at the other man with a raised eyebrow. "Is that a trick question?"

"Wha?" Mr. Sakano became baffled as usual. "Uh, no...um...I...uh..."

"To answer your question, no, I haven't." Eiri said. "I haven't been able to get near his room without his family there. As a matter of fact, I ran into his younger sister the other day."

"Really?" Mr. Sakano asked.

"Yeah, she threw one of my books at me."

"Oh, I see." Mr. Sakano replied pushing up his glasses.

"Anyways, how's that Hiro guy holding up?" Eiri asked dispite what Hiro did to him at the hospital.

"Oh, not so good." Mr. Sakano replied. "He hardly speaks a word to anyone. There was an incident where Ryuichi said something about Shuichi waking up soon. But it made Hiroshi angry. He stormed out of the studio."

"That fucking retard." Eiri snorted.

"Well... if Shuichi were to wake up from his coma," Sakano asked, "what would you do? I'm sure you're the first person he'd want to see."

"Yeah, I know." Eiri said with a smirk. "My younger brother says I should just whisk him away to some exotic paradise and never come back."

"Haha!" Mr. Sakano laughed. "Well, I'm not so sure about never coming back. But why don't you two spend some time together away from home?"

"This is starting to sound mushy." Eiri said with a heavy sigh. "I'm not that kind of guy, alright? And even if I wanted to leave this place with him and never come back, he wouldn't want the same thing. Shuichi's singing career is here in Japan; at NG. There's no way in hell he'd sign with a different label anywhere else. Somewhere else in Japan maybe, but not the states."

"Well, I...suppose that is true." Mr. Sakano agreed.

"Look, I gotta get going." Eiri said as he began walking away. "See you around."

"Good night!" Mr. Sakano called to him and continued on his way home.

When Eiri finally returned home, he decided to go straight to bed. Tomorrow was his last day to wrap up his novel, which to him wouldn't take too long. Though the reaccuring nightmares bothered him, he was extremely tired.

Eiri tossed and turned in his sleep. There was music playing in his sleep even though the radio was off in his room. It was the same exact song that played on the radio when he first started havin that one nightmare.

"_Take the children and yourself_"

_"and hide out in the cellar"_

"_By now the fighting will be close at hand"_

_"Don't believe the church and state"_

_"And everything they tell you"_

_"Believe in me, I'm with the high command_"

He was still running. The voices were laughing at him. Fear came pouring down on him as it did before, weighing him down. His vision became blurred as he kept searching for what he needed.

"Where are you!" The young boy cried out. No response came.

"Can you hear me?"

"Can you hear me running?"

"Can you hear me running, can you hear me calling you?"

"Don't run away." Said a strange voice.

The boy stopped in his tracks. He didn't dare look back. He looked to both sides and saw nothing.

"Who's there?" He called out to the strange voice.

"We know what you're looking for." came another voice. This one sounded female. "He's here with us. You don't have to worry."

"But who are you?" He asked again.

"Yuki." Came that sweet voice was looking for.

"Where are you?" He called out.

"Come to me." The voice said. "I won't let them hurt you."

"All you have to do is walk away." The strange male voice said.

But the boy started running again.

"There's a gun and ammunition"

"Just inside the doorway"

"Use it only in emergency"

"Better you should pray to God"

"The Father and The Spirit"

"Will guide you and protect you from up here"

"Walk." Said the female voice. "Don't run."

He wouldn't listen. The boy kept running. The voices came back.

"You're a good and honest boy." Said the voice of the man that tortured his thoughts.

He closed his eyes tight. But that only brought back the visions of his beloved Angel. He was bruised up. His clothes were torn. His bottom lip was bleeding; hair matted. The light in his eyes were gone. Worst of all, he could barely walk. The poor thing reached out to the older male. As Eiri tried to reach out to him, he felt himself being pulled back.

"No!" He screamed out. "Shuichi!"

"Walk. Don't run."

"No!" Eiri jolted up from his sleep. Sweat beaded his forehead. His heart hammered in his chest.

Eiri didn't want to admit it, but at this point, he was scared. Was it an epiphany? He couldn't tell. He got out of bed and went to the kitchen. He poured himself a glass of juice and sat down at the table. The flat was quiet. Too quiet; and cold. Eiri looked around. He remembered how dull his life used to be before Shuichi came into his life. His only entertainment then were those whores who wanted nothing more than to get their hands on his wallet. He didn't care though. If the sex was there, he took it without question. They would both get their fill and she would leave that same night or the next day.

Women came and went. That just the way it was. Eiri knew that. But Shuichi wasn't some whore that just wanted sex or money. He never wanted any of that. Eiri remembered the first night he and Shuichi made love. It was the night of Shuichi's debut song.

**FLASHBACK**

They both stood side by side looking out at the full moon from the balcony window. The smaller boy looked up at the blonde with confused yet yerning eyes.

"I didn't think you would come to my concert." The boy said softly. "Why?"

The taller man didn't answer. He only looked down at him with lustful, wanting eyes. His right hand came up to wipe a tear away from the boy's left eye.

"Yuki?" The boy said the man's name with a hint of uneasyness. "I don't understand you."

"I don't understand you." The man responded with obvious lust in his voice. "What could you possibly want from me?"

Silence followed soon after as the boy felt hot lips on his. But a sudden rush of fear came over him as he felt himself being lowered to the ground.

"W-wait, Yuki!" The boy panicked. "What are you doing?"

"What does it look like?" Eiri breathed. "I'm going to make love to you."

Eiri reached down and tugged at the boy's sweater. Shuichi tried to resist. But with the amount of force Eiri was using, he had no choice but to lift his arms and allow his sweater and shirt to be pulled up over his head.

"Wait, pleae." Shuichi begged. "I don't want to do this!"

"Of course you do." Eiri said with nothing but empty lust.

"No, I don't!" The poor boy whimpered. "You know, I'm fine with just making out. Really."

"I'd rather make love." Eiri growled softly.

He unfastened the button on Shuichi's baggy pants while attacking his neck with kisses. Then after unzipping them, he yanked them down to his knees which caused him to gasp.

"No!" Shuichi yelled. "Stop!"

"Not so loud, you damned brat!" Eiri hissed. "My ears are sensetive you know."

" I'm sorry, Yuki." Shuichi apologized. "But please stop. I don't want this."

"Don't worry." Eiri said with no concern what so ever. "You'll get used to it eventually."

"That doesn't make it any better!" The pink haired boy replied while trying to push the bigger man off of him.

A sudden chill swept over his lower area. Shuichi looked down only to discover that his boxers and pants had been removed completely. This sent a wave of horror rushing through him. He heard something coming from between his legs. Eiri was now unzipping his own pants. A lustful smile was spread across his face. This caused Shuichi to blush furociously. One hand pressed down on his shoulder while the other lifted his leg in the air.

"Just relax." The blonde whispered in his ear.

He licked his two fingers before inserting them into the younger male's rear end. The pain made Shuichi hissed. This was his first time doing anything like this.

"Aah!" He screamed out in pain. "Yuki, it hurts! Please s-stop!"

"Now, now." Eiri said in a low sexy voice. "Just take it easy, Shuichi."

Shuichi's muscles finally began to relax and the pain was replaced by pleasure. Tears still fell from his eyes as the man above him replaced his fingers with his own member. More pain flowed through the boy's body and he screamed out in agony.

"Oh, God!" Shuichi yelped. "Yuki! Aah! Please g-get off of me! Take it out!"

"But don't you wanna feel good, Shuichi?"

"This doesn't feel good at all, Yuki!" Shuichi protested.

"Aw, c'mon." Eiri said licking his lips. "Don't cry, baby."

"Aah! Aah! Yu-ki!" Shuichi called out.

"There now." Eiri said seductively. "It doesn't hurt anymore now does it?"

"It feels weird." Shuichi protested.

They went at it for a whole hour. Eiri layed breathless on top of Shuichi. The boy had cried nonstop through the whole thing.

"What's with you?" Eiri asked glaring at him. "You're such a wuss."

"You're such an animal." Shuichi shot back.

"Why, thank you." Eiri mocked.

"You could have been more gentle, you know." Shuichi sobbed. "It was my first time!"

"First time, huh?" Eiri said sarcastically. "You really are a wuss."

"Well, it's not like I'm gonna go out and do it with just anybody!" Shuichi declaired. "I wanted it to be with someone I love."

"So what are you saying," Eiri asked in all seriousness, "that I took advantage of you?"

"Well I told you I didn't want to do it!" Shuichi snapped. "You were the one that forced yourself on to me!"

"'Well you weren't really making an effort to get away from me." Eiri shot back.

"You bastard!" Shuichi screamed. "I was trying to get you off of me! Couldn't you tell?"

"..."

"..."

"Get your shit and get out." Eiri said bluntly.

"Huh?" Shuichi whined. "But why, Yuki?"

"Do I need a reason?" Eiri spat. "Get the fuck out."

**END FLASHBACK**

Eiri shuddered at the memory. He knew full well what he had done to Shuichi was wrong. Yet, he didn't stop when his lover begged him to. A single tear fell from Eiri's eye and landed inside his glass. This was becoming too much for him. He wasn't supposed to be this emotional. It was very unlike him. He got off the couch and went to the bathroom to wash his face. The cold water refreshed him somewhat. But did nothing for his nerves. Eiri looked in the mirror. He didn't look like the same Eiri. The person he saw in the mirror looked completly different.

His eyes were a bright amber color. What had once been small narrow slits were now a bit bigger and wider. Eiri stepped away from the mirror in what seemed like shock. This wasn't the cold and distant Eiri Yuki. It wasn't the Eiri that filled his lungs with poison and his liver with venom. It wasn't the Eiri that slept with any whore that would have him and locked his past away in the back of his mind. What was peeking out at the surface was the old Eiri. The Eiri from seven years ago: before Kitazawa.

"Damned brat." He whispered to his reflection. "What the hell have you done to me?"

**Meanwhile**

Ryuichi sat in his living room staring at the television screen. His pink stuffed rabbit was clutched to his chest. He looked at the brown package that sat on the coffee table in front of him. He was supposed to deliver it to someone weeks ago. But in doing so, someone was going to get hurt; a few people actually. And because of that, Ryuichi couldn't find the courage to deliver the package. There was someone he needed to speak to about the situation. Someone who could very well end up hating him for it.

Ryuichi heard the front door unlock. He quickly reached for the package and shoved it under the couch. A loud cheerful voice filled the house as the front door closed behind that person.

"Oh, honey bunny!" Came the voice of none other than Tatsuha Uesugi. "Where are you?"

"In the living room, Tatsu-chan!" Ryuichi replied with fake enthusiasm.

Tatsuha entered the living room to find his boyfriend sitting on the couch. The smile left his face when he saw the gloomy look on the older man's face.

"Honey?" Tatsuha called approaching his lover. "What's the matter?"

'Just who I've been waiting for,' Ryuichi thought to himself. "Um...can I talk to you for a minute?"

"Of course, Baby." Tatsuha said sitting next to him. He placed an arm around Ryuichi's shoulder. "What's up? You okay?"

Ryuichi turned to face his lover. His dark blue eyes were so intent on holding their gaze together. He hesitated a bit before he worked up the courage to ask the question that was welling up in his brain.

"How far would you go to protect someone?" He asked the younger male in all seriousness.

It was point blank; right in his face. Tatsuha nearly choked on his own saliva.

He couldn't help but ask, "Um.. what?"

"How far would you go to protect someone?" Ryuichi asked again with the same serious expression.

Tatsuha felt as though he had been punched in the jaw. How was he supposed to answer to that? It wasn't like Ryuichi to act so serious all the time. Ever since Shuichi's accident, it was like the childish switch in his head had been flipped off and there was no one there to turn it back on. Tatsuha didn't like this side of the singer and he certainly didn't like where this conversation was going. But he knew that Ryuichi wouldn't stop until he got an answer. So he had no choice but to answer the question.

"Well...I'd do just about anything." Tatsuha responded. "If it's someone I love; some...precious to me...I would do anything." He stroked Ryuichi's cheek softly.

"Even if it means hurting someone else that you care about?"

Tatsuha froze. He looked at Ryuichi with a shocked expression. Something just wasn't right.

"Ryu." Tatsuha started. "Where is all of this coming from all of a sudden? What's gotten into you?"

"You didn't answer my question." Ryuichi said plainly.

"Ryu, please tell me what's going on?" Tatsuha said standing up from the couch.

"..."

"Ryu?"

"..."

"Fine." Tatsuha sighed. "I'm out of here."

"Why?" Ryuichi asked not moving from his position on the couch.

"Because I don't like where this conversation is going." The younger male admitted. "And you're starting to freak me out."

Tatsuha grabbed his jacket and keys. He took one last look at Ryuichi who had gone back to the curled up position on the couch, then walked out the door. Ryuichi sat in silence for a moment. A

After what seemed like forever, he got up and pulled out the package from underneath the couch. He looked long and hard at it. Then finally, he came to a decision.

"I'm sorry, Tatsuha." The vocalist spoke softly. "I do love you. But I love Shuichi more."

**~owari~ **

**Angel Eyes Kiyone: **There you go, kitties! Another chapter done. Just give me seven reviews and I'll update. I already have another chapter written out that just needs to be typed. Thank you my loyal readers. I have not forgotten you. Work, hom, work, home. Rinse and repeat. I'm actually glad to be getting this chapter over with. You know the part where Eiri is talking to Mr. Sakano on the street? I actually had a dream about that three years ago and it stuck with me ever since. But in the dream, Mr. Sakano was the one that suggested that Eiri take Shuichi far away somewhere. And it was at sunset instead of night. I just had to get it down on paper. That dream is what sparked the idea for Precious in the first place. And the fact that It came from a dream and I call these two chapters Dream Sequence? Okay, I'm babbling, but you get the idea. There goes one heavy burden lifted. I'm free! The next chapter will be different. So keep reading.


	10. A Peaceful Place

**Gravitation**

**Disclaimer: **I don't own Gravitation. Maki Murakami does.

**Angel Eyes Kiyone**: Hey all. I know it's been a while. But here's another chapter for ya. Enjoy.

He awoke to the sound of running water. The setting sun glared in his face in a rather peaceful manner. The boy sat up quickly, realizing that he was lying in sand. Somethng cold ran over his feet covering them like a blanket. He looked down.

"The ocean?" The boy said to himself seeming rather confused. "How did I get here? What...is this place?"

His thoughts were broken by the sound of laughter. The boy got to his feet and dusted off his shorts. He was going to find the source of the laughter.

The journey seemed endless. Walking along the ocean; listening to the sound of the waves crashing to shore seemed to put his mind at ease. He had no idea where he was. Did he even care? The laughter came again. This time, out popped two teenage girls; a red head and a blonde. Both were wearing matching black tube tops and tight black shorts. The boy stared with wide eyes at them as they ran around chasing one another.

"Um...excuse me." He called out to them.

The two stopped in their tracks and spun around. They stared at the boy with grins on their faces.

"Hey!" Squealed the red head. "Haven't we seen you somewhere before?"

"Um.. I don't know. Maybe."

"He definitely looks familiar." Said the blonde nodding her head.

"Er-hey, can you girls help me out?" He asked walking towards them. "I don't know where I am. I'm not... even sure how I got here."

"Oh, well you must've had an accident." The blonde said sadly.

"An accident?" The boy repeated scratching the back of his head.

"Yeah." Said the red head. "I mean that's what happened to us. Or at least that's what the nice couple told us."

"Nice couple?" He repeated cocking his head to one side.

"Yeah!" Squealed the blonde bouncing up and down. "We can introduce you to them if you want. They might be able to help you."

"Great!" The boy said with relief in his voice.

"Okay, let's go!" Said the red head leading the way.

The three of them ran along the beach passing a long row of jagged boulders. The boy looked out at the ocean. The water seemed to change colors the farther they went. Lovely sea green turned to sparkling blue when the foam rushed over it.

"How beautiful." He whispered almost breathlessly. He turned his attention back to the path ahead of him. When he looked, he could see what looked like another beach. But this one was different. The water was still; quiet. Yet, there was a certain peacefulness to it. Distant mountains decorated the background. The everlasting sunset seemed to make them appear as shadows. Just ahead, the boy could see something glowing in the sand. It was a strange purple glow. Just beyond the glowing line, there were two smooth rocks about as high as the boys waist. Sitting atop those rocks was a man and woman. Their bodies were shrowded in darkness.

"There they are." The blonde pointed out. "C'mon."

The boy continued foward until he came just a few inches behind the purple line. Mesmarized by it, he took a step foward. But just before he could step over it, a male voice snapped him out of his trance.

"Don't come any closer son."

The boy felt himself being pulled back gently. When he turned his head, the blonde and red head were standing behind him smiling. He looked back at the figures in front of him. They both stood. The female then bent down and reached out her arms. The three outside the line turned around to see a little boy running in their direction. He looked no more than four or five.

"Awe, he's so cute!' Squealed the blonde. But the smile faded from her face just as quickly as it had come. The boy ran over the line and into the woman's arms. He too, became shrowded in shadow. The red head covered her mouth with both hands. The blonde burried her face in the other's shoulder. The boy looked back at them. He couldn't understand why they were so sad all of a sudden. Scratching his head, he turned back in time to see the woman walking away with the boy in her arms. A bright light appeared before her out of nowhere.

"What...is that?" He asked completely stunned.

"The enterance to the afterlife." The man answered. "Where everyone must go when their time on Earth is up."

"So...that little boy..." he said softly. "He's..."

"Yes." Came the woman's voice as she returned; the light vanishing behind her.

She looked at the two girls standing behind the pink haired male. They were still sobbing for the little boy.

"Thank you for bringing him here, girls." She said to them. "We will take it from here."

Both girls walked away still clinging to eachother. Their heads hung low in sadness. The boy couldn't help but shed tears for all three of them. He looked down at the line in the sand. There was something that he noticed about the line. When the little boy crossed it, it flashed white before returning to purple.

"Sanyo and Jessica." The woman said out of nowhere.

"Huh?" The pink haired boy said surprised.

"The red head is Sanyo. The blonde is Jessica."

"Are they friends?' He asked.

"Identicle twins actually." The man replied.

"Oh." The boy said surprised. "I never would have guessed."

"It happens." The woman laughed. "Those two don't even remember their names."

"They don't?" He said scratching his head.

"No." The woman continued. "And there isn't much point in telling them. They would just forget again. You see, this place is called The Horizon; a place that exists between life and death."

"Life and death?" The boy repeated in utter shock.

"Yes." The woman said simply.

"That can't be." He said shaking his head. "I'm not dead! I can't be!"

"Not yet you're not." The man told him. "It's not your time yet. That's why you're standing outside the line; those girls too."

"Do you even remember your own name?" The woman asked. "Do you remember how old you are? Do you know what happened to you?"

He stared at the shadows. Now that they mentioned it, he couldn't remember what happened. He had no idea how he even got to where he was now.

"Would you like us to tell you what happened?" The woman said softly.

"Yes." He whispered.

"You were struck by a car." The woman said. "You were trying to save someone. A young boy."

"What?" He said with trembling lips. "What was...what was he doing, playing in the street?"

"Yes." The woman said simply.

The boy sank to his knees in the sand. Tears spilled from his eyes as what the woman told him sank in. He didn't remember the kid's face. He didn't remember anything about that time.

"It was late at night when it happened." The man chimed in. "Do you remember what you were doing out so late?"

The boy only shook his head as he wiped his tears away. The two shadows looked at one another and then at the pink haired boy in front of them.

"Do you remember what you were feeling?" The woman asked softly. "Do you remember the emotions that were going through you?"

"Close your eyes and try to focus." The man told him.

He did as he was told. Taking a deep breath, the boy tried to concentrate on the emotions he was feeling. A gentle wind came out of nowhere and blew his hair back. With a little bit more force, it came at him making him sway just a bit. The expression on his face changed as a wave of emotion pushed its way through him.

A smile spread across his face. Then it turned into a grin. It was a look of excitement. Another wind blew. The expression changed. The boy scrunched his eyebrows a bit and the smile slowly faded away. It was a look of confusion. The couple looked on intently. Confusion then quickly turned to shock. The pink haired boy started to tremble and his lips quivered; eyes shut tight. Tears came streaming down his face. His breath hitched in his throat. He huntched over clutching his chest. It was heartache.

The couple stayed silent and watched. Another wind blew. He stood up straight. There was no expression on his face. There was no emotion. Another wind. More sadness. Another wind. Curiosity mixed with confusion. Another wind. Surprise. Another wind...adrenalin. His muscles tensed. He flinched, then froze. Another wind... Nothing. The boy opened his eyes. He remained silent.

"Do you understand what happened to you?" The man asked.

"My heart was broken." The boy replied in a low voice. "I left. I was sad. Then I was overwhelmed with surprise. All I could feel after that was adrenaline rushing through me."

"That was when you saved the boy." The woman said.

"But why was I heart broken?" The boy asked. "What did I do?"

"That we can't tell you." The woman answered. "The only thing we can do is help you understand what your life was like."

"And to help you take control of it, son." The man added.

"I see." The boy said in a calm voice.

"You know," the man went on, "in life, we used to know a boy who was a lot like you."

"Yes." The woman said. "Our son. He was such a sweet, loving boy. Just like you."

"Oh." The pink haired boy said bashfully looking down at his feet. "Really?"

"That's right." The man answered. "It's sad that we had to leave him so soon."

"What happened to you?" The boy asked sitting down in the sand. "Do you know?"

"Surprisingly yes, we do." The man said. "We were murdered."

The young boy gasped in shock. The worse thing that can ever happen to a person is to be killed by someone elses hands. More tears started to form in the boy's eyes. He couldn't look at them. Instead, he looked down at the sand. The human world was cruel. Mad men took the lives of innocent men, women, and children. But nobody knew why they were driven to do those things. It was simply inhuman.

"Why?" The boy asked looking up again.

"Jealousy and rivalry." The couple said in unison.

"Seriously?" He asked wiping his tears away. "What kind of rivalry?"

"Well," the man said, "I was a lawyer."

"And I was a doctor." The woman told him.

"Wow." The boy said amazed.

"Yeah." The man chuckled. "You see, there was a couple that lived down the street from us. The husband was also a lawyer. We worked for the same law firm. And the wife was a doctor. Their twelve year old daugher had a cold; just a simple cold. But for some reason, no matter what they gave her, she just couldn't get better."

"The wife did all of the math for her dosages." The woman continued. "But one day, she decided to double the dosage to one of her medications. Sadly, it didn't work."

"She was found dead the next day in her bed." The man finished.

"When they did her autopsy," The woman continued, "they discovered the large amount of medication in her system; an overdose."

"And because the mother was a doctor," the man went on, " and she was the only one to treat her throughout her life, they arrested her. When her trial came, the judge charged her with second degree murder and gave her fifty years to life in prison."

"Man. That's some pretty serious stuff." The boy said in all seriousness.

"It is." The man said. "There was nothing that the husband could do. He lost his daughter and his wife. And over time, he went crazy."

"So he killed you guys?" The boy asked.

"He hired someone to kill us." The man told him.

"You see," the woman started, "what happened was our son got sick with the cold. But at that time, he was old enough to live on his own. But he didn't want to see any other doctor. So he came to me."

"He spent two weeks at home with us while he was getting better." The man went on. "Then he took off. He was supposed to take off to the states in three days. But somehow, our neighbors heard about how well he had gotten under my wife's care and they congradulated us. The husband somehow heard about it and he became enraged."

"A day later, he was seen wandering through the neighborhood drunk out of his mind." The woman went on. "He came to our house and started banging on the door like a madman. He started making accusations and threats. He ranted on about how it wasn't fair that his daughter died and our son survived. We told him to go on home and sleep it off. We didn't start anything with him. We knew how much pain he was in."

"On the third day before our son left," the man continued in a low voice, "he called us and told us he was taking off in a few hours."

"He told us how much he loved us and that he would be back in two months." The woman said. "The last thing I said to him was, 'I love you and don't forget that you always have a home here with us."

"The last thing I said to him was, 'Bring us home a grammy, son!'" The man laughed.

"A grammy?" The boy said dumbfounded. "Was he an actor?"

"A musician." The woman corrected. "But we think he has also starred in a couple of movies."

"Anyways." The man continued. "We had decided to sit down together and watch a movie. An hour later, there was a knock at the door. I was the one to answer it. As soon as I opened the door, there was a gun pointed at my head and the shot went off instantly."

"I bolted out of my seat when I heard the sound." The woman continued. "When I saw my husband lying there on the floor with a bullet in his head, I screamed. I ran over and knelt beside him. He had no pulse. The next thing I knew, I was looking up at the person who pulled the trigger. He didn't look familiar. The last thing I remember was him pointing the gun at my chest and saying, 'Nothing personal.' Then he pulled the trigger."

"One of our neighbor's called the police." The man said. "The whole area was surrounded by cops and ambulance trucks within fourty-five minutes. But the worse part was that someone got a hold of our son. He showed up within the time that the police did."

"He was on his knees rocking back and forth over our bodies." The woman said sadly. "His whole body was shaking and he was crying. He kept saying, 'Mom, Dad please wake up!"

"It took five cops to pull him up off the ground away from our bodies." The man chimed in.

"He was only twenty-one years old at the time." The woman added. "We're pretty certain it's been years since then."

"Is he still alive?" The boy asked.

"Yes, he is." The woman replied. "But we can no longer watch over him."

"What do you mean?" The boy asked looking confused. "Were you watching over him before?"

"Before, yes." The man said sadly. "Instead of moving on like we were supposed to, we stayed behind."

"You see," the woman continued, "we already knew that we were dead. We weren't affraid. We just...didn't want to leave him behind."

"It was foolish of us to do something like that." The man went on. "Especially when it's a better place you're supposed to be going to."

"But instead of sending us to a place of eternal misery," the woman said, "we were made to stay here for the rest of eternity.'

"Oh." The pink headed boy said drawing lines in the sand. "Well it seems so peaceful here."

"It is." The man said nodding his head. "The Horizon. A place that exists between life and death. A part of our punishment is to bring good souls that have passed on to the other side. Thus, the line in the sand."

The younger male looked down at the line that was glowing purple. He couldn't help but wonder. Why is it purple? He looked up at the couple shrowded in darkness. The man seemed to have read his mind.

"The color of the line is reflected through the eyes of the person looking at it."

"Oh." The boy said surprised. "What about when it changes to white?"

"We can all see that." The woman answered. "It happens after a person has crossed over."

"Take Jessica and Sanyo for instance." The male spirit said. "Jessica has blue eyes. Sanyo has green eyes. So Jessica sees a blue line that turns white and changes back while Sanyo sees a green line. Get it?"

"Yeah." The pinket said simply. "So I see a purple line because my eyes are purple."

"You got it, son." The man said.

"What about you guys?" He asked continuing to draw in the sand.

"We're on the other side." The female spirit said. "So all we see is a white line."

"Of course, we can see you in color." The man told him. "Pink hair, purple eyes, black baggy shorts, and a red t-shirt."

"Of course, my eyes were brown when I was alive." The woman told him. "And his were blue."

"Wow." The boy said plainly.

"Well, you must be bored with our babbling." The man sighed. "Why don't you go find Jessica and Sanyo; get to know them for a little while."

"Um...but," the boy stuttered, "I thought you were going to help me understand my situation?"

"We are, sweetheart." The woman reassured him. "You still have time. For now, take a break."

"Oh, okay." He said dusting the sand from his hands. He stood up and bowed respectfully. "Thank you."

"Anytime, son." The man said raising a hand in recognition.

And with that the boy ran off. He looked out at the ocean that had began to change colors with every wave. He saw the large jagged rocks that the girls were hiding behind when he first met them. Sitting beneath the rocks were the blonde and the red head. The boy ran over to them. He had noticed that both girls were holding seashells to their ears. They were quiet; still. The two listened intently with closed eyes to the sound of unseen oceans.

"Um, hi." The boy said shyly.

Both girls opened their eyes. The smiles on their faces were truely genuine.

"Hey, you're back!" Jessica said jumping up and throwing her arms around the boy.

"So how was it?" Sanyo asked bouncing on her tip toes.

"They were very nice people." He told them.

"Yeah, see?" Jessica squealed. "We can go back and ask them anything. They're always here!"

"So, did they tell you what happened?" Sanyo asked.

"Yeah." He said running his fingers through his hair. "I was hit by a car."

"What?" Both girls said with wide eyes. "How?"

"I was trying to save some kid from getting hit?" He responded.

"Wow." Sanyo gasped. "That's heroic."

"So you were trying to save that kid," Jessica chimed in, "and you ended up here."

"Guess so." He responded.

"So then you must be lying in a hospital bed somewhere."

"Just like us." Sanyo finished.

"Oh, yeah that reminds me," Jessica said, "do you even remember your name?"

"M-my name?" The boy said dumbly. "Um. Now that you mention it, I...don't remember."

"Yeah, don't worry about it." Sanyo told him. "We don't remember our names either."

"S-Sanyo and Jessica." He told them.

"Who?" Both girls said in unison.

The boy turned to the blonde and looked her in the eyes. "Your name is Jessica." He told her, then turned to the redhead. "Your name is Sanyo."

"Oh." They both said.

"Ya know, we probably won't remember." Jessica said.

"Yeah." Sanyo went on. "They told us our names last time. But we didn't use them so we forgot."

"Ooh, okay." He said nodding his head.

"Oh, hey." Jessica said shaking Sanyo's arm. "They're calling us."

"Oh. Um, we'll be right back." Sanyo said running off with Jessica in toe.

"Um, okay." The boy replied waving at them.

The girls ran across the sand to the other beach. Silence filled the air. The ocean was still. They both came to a hault at the line in front of them. The couple sat there on the rocks leaning against one another. Both girls couldn't help but giggle and aw at the couple.

"Glad you're here girls." The man said.

"There's one small piece of information we need to give you regarding the boy." The woman said.

"What's that?" Sanyo asked straightening up.

"His name." The man responded. "It's...Shuichi."

"He remembers your names." The woman went on. "Don't forget his."

"Okay." They both said in unison.

"That is all." The man said.

The girls turned and ran off in the direction that they came. Both were unaware of what was to come.

"None of them know." The woman said.

"They'll need their names." The man finished. He looked at the woman and she nodded in understanding.

Owari~

**Angel Eyes Kiyone: **Finally, damn it! I hate using the same damn words over and over. But I'm not a professional so please forgive me. Can anyone guess what's going to happen to those three? Don't tell me, just guess. Tee hee! I'm so bad. A couple chapters left. I feel kind of sad. I've been writing this story since 2009. And I'm getting closer to wrapping it up. *sniff* Thank you to all of my reviewers.

white pedal, Animecartooncomicgirl, MafeLy. And everyone else who reviewed.


	11. A Brother's Concern, A Lover's Betrayel

Gravitation

Disclaimer: I don't own Gravitation. Maki Murakami does.

"Hiroshi!" K. said seeming a bit irritated. "Go home already."

"Why?" The guitarist asked looking confused.

"Spending time here won't do you any good." Mr. Sakano told him.

"It's not going to ease your pain." Mr. K. added.

"Don't you think I already know that?" Hiroshi snapped. "I know it won't bring him back but I hate being alone in that apartment. Especially since I know he won't be coming by anymore!"

Both Mr. K. and Mr. Sakano couldn't help but feel sorry for him. Hiroshi broke down crying right there in the middle of the studio. Mr. Sakano helped him up and sat him down in a chair. The whole ordeal was taking a tole on him, especially since Shuichi's parents told him something he didn't want to hear.

"They're really gonna do it." Hiroshi whispered softly. "They're really gonna take him off of life support."

Mr. Sakano placed an arm around Hiroshi's shoulder. He knew the boy was going through hell right now. They all were. Shuichi had become the face of NG records. He was what everyone wanted and now his life was slipping away. Fujisaki, K. and Mr. Sakano had seen the boy as a nuisance. He was always showing up late, always stopping in between songs to take a break, sometimes not finishing lyrics on time. The boy was a handful. His constant whining and crying made your ears bleed.

But on the other hand, Shuichi was also very caring. The boy had a gentle heart. He was so quick to forgive people and forget what they had been fighting about. And dispite the way he argued with people, Shuichi was actually very respectful.

"It should've been me." Hiroshi whispered.

Mr. Sakano gasped. That was the final straw for K.

"Take that back." He said pointing his pistol at Hiroshi's head.

"Why?" Hiroshi asked without looking up.

"Uh, Mr. K," Mr. Sakano interupted, "perhaps there is a better way to resolve this."

"How?" K. asked without looking at him.

"Just let me talk to him." Mr. Sakano insisted.

Mr. K. put the safety back on the pistol and stepped aside. Mr. Sakano pulled up a chair and sat next to the red head. He straightened his glasses and cleared his throat before beginning.

"Hiroshi." He began. "Do you really mean what you just said? Do you really think it should have been you?"

The younger male only nodded his head.

"Well, think about this," he went on, "if it had been you in that accident, how do you think Shuichi would feel?"

That hit the spot. Hiroshi looked down at his hands in silence. Mr. Sakano was right. Either way it happened, both of them would have been grieving for the other person.

"Think about that for a moment." Mr. Sakano stated.

"I know." Hiroshi said in a low voice. "You're right."

"Good boy!" Mr. K. said patting the boy on the head. "Now, why don't you head on home."

Hiroshi nodded his head and wiped his tears away. He really didn't want to, but he had no other choice. He reluctantly got up and grabbed his keys off the table then headed out the door. Mr. K. and Mr. Sakano watched him leave. Mr. Sakano glanced at Mr. K. There was the slightest bit of pitty on his face.

"So...what now?" Mr. Sakano asked him.

"They're pulling the plug next week Friday." Mr. K. said. "Today is Saturday. There's only six days left."

"If he doesn't wake up by then, that'll be it." Mr. Sakano said in a low voice. "Mr. President has three bands lined up. It'll be the end of Bad Luck. Their recording contract will be terminated."

"The President was thinking about doing just that." Mr. K. confessed.

"What?" Mr. Sakano yelled in shock. "And you're just telling me this now?" He started spinning out of control.

"Relax." Mr. K. said rolling his eyes. "Fujisaki already took care of everything."

Mr. Sakano stopped in his tracks. "Uh...how?"

"Well, he is the President's cousin after all." Mr. K. said grinning from ear to ear.

"Yes, of course." Mr. Sakano said pushing up his glasses. "But how, exactly?"

"They made a deal." Mr. K. said plainly. "That's all I'm going to say."

The blonde gaijin left the blue haired man standing there looking confused. What kind of deal could the two of them have made with each other he wondered.

~Meanwhile~

Eiri sat at his desk looking through some of his old books. His manuscript was finally finished. Due to his current situation, Mizuki decided to give him some time off. A lot had been going through his mind. His books kept him somewhat distracted, but they were no match for what he went through at night. Eiri had actually found himself tossing and turning less and less. Though the fear of his past still remained, he was getting use to the reaccuring nightmare. The gentle voices that told him to walk and not run seemed easier to obey. But he was walking at a fast pace. He felt the need to run again, but the soft voices put him at ease. He kept reaching out for that one thing he needed. A few times he came close to reaching it. But he would wake up from his sleep before he could get to it.

There was a knock at the door. Eiri got up to answer it. But before he could reach the front door, the person had already let themself in.

"Bro?" Came a loud voice.

"Thank Buddha." Eiri whispered to himself. Normally he would be irritated seeing as how Tatsuha always seemed to invite himself in most of the time. But Eiri didn't feel like being alone. He walked into the living room to meet his baby brother.

"There you are." Tatsuha said grinning from ear to ear.

Eiri made note of the black and blue duffle bag laying on the couch.

"What now, twirp?" He asked pretending to be irritated.

"Oh, I was just in the neighborhood, you know," he said looking up at the ceiling, "and I just thought I'd drop by and see my favorite brother."

"I'm your only brother, dumbass." Eiri said with a raised eyebrow.

"Oh, that's right!" Tatsuha said in mock amusement. "I almost forgot about that."

Something wasn't right about him. Eiri could tell when something was up with Tatsuha. The seventeen year old had a tendency to show up unexpectedly to either deliver news or to crash at his place due to exhaustion. But this was different. Eiri could clearly see that something was upsetting the boy.

"What happened?" He asked dead serious.

"Ryu's been acting strange lately." Tatsuha confessed running his fingers through his hair. He sat down on the couch and rested his chin in his hands.

"When has that guy not been acting strange?" Eiri mocked.

"Very funny, bro." Tatsuha said defensively. "I'm serious. He hasn't been himself lately. He's all serious and angry and shit. It's fucking creepy."

"I would actually think that was him being himself." Eiri said with a raised eyebrow.

"Fuck you!" Tatsuha hissed.

"Fine." Eiri said sitting next to him. "What did he do?"

"A few hours ago, he asked me a strange question with that serious look on his face."

"What was it?" Eiri asked.

"He asked me...how far would I go to protect someone I cared about." Tatsuha explained to him.

"What the hell?" Eiri said in somewhat of a shock.

"Yeah, I know right? I told him, but then-"

"Wait, what exactly did you tell him?" Eiri asked interupting his brother.

"I told him I would do anything to protect the person I cared about." Tatsuha went on. "If it were someone...precious to me, I would do just about anything."

"Someone precious." Eiri repeated with a far away look.

"And then he asked me, 'even if it means hurting someone else you care about?'" Tatsuha went on.

"Oh, really?" Eiri said with a smirk.

"That fucking freaked me out, dude!" Tatsuha said shaking his head. "So I left."

"And you think he's up to something?" Eiri asked.

"Well, yeah." Tatsuha replied.

"He's probably still upset about what's happened." Eiri told his brother.

"You're actually on his side for once?" Tatsuha asked looking a little surprised.

"I never said I was on his side." Eiri said defensively. "But it's understandable."

"Well, would you go to great lengths for someone you cared about?" Tatsuha asked.

Eiri froze. Not once had anyone asked him that question. He was so busy being an asshole towards Shuichi that he never stopped to think about what would happen if he lost him. The incident that occured with Taki Aizawa was nothing compared to what has happened now. The boy's life was hanging by a thread and Eiri couldn't help but feel responsible for it. He clenched his fists as an image of Tohma crossed his mind. Eiri wanted to kill the man so bad. Shuichi wouldn't be in the hospital right now if it wasn't for him.

"Bro?" Tatsuha said interupting Eiri's thoughts.

"Now that you mention it," Eiri responded, "I would do the same. Though...it's probably already too late."

"Says who?" Tatsuha snorted.

"He's in a coma, Tatsuha."

"He doesn't have to be."

Eiri looked at his younger brother long and hard. Tatsuha held his gaze with a smile. For the first time in years, Eiri saw his brother's mature side. The usual sexually charged teen had set aside his selfishness. Eiri sat next to a man with deep concern for his big brother and his lover. Killing his pride, Eiri returned that warm smile.

"Will you come with me?" He asked his little brother.

"You bet!" Tatsuha replied slapping his brother on the shoulder.

~Meanwhile~

The limo pulled up to a mansion on fifth avenue. The man in the back seat rolled down his window. He stared at the mailbox in front of the house. He had been given specific instructions from a certain someone to deliver the package indirectly. That someone was going to make this guy do something that could not only hurt his bandmate, but his lover as well.

The man got out of the limo and walked slowly up to the mailbox. The words 'Seguchi Residence" was written across the top on a thin brown plaque in gold lettering. The person that this guy was working for wanted to expose Tohma for the monster he was. He opened the mailbox and slipped the package inside. He raised the red flag and closed it shut then quickly retreated back to the limo.

"Go." He told the driver. Then he pulled out his cell phone to make a quick call. It rang twice before the person on the other line picked up. "It's done, sir. As you requested."

"Thank you." The person on the other line said in a low voice. "I really appreciate this. I'll see to it that you're rewarded greatly. Goodbye." And with that he hung up. "Forgive me, Tatsuha." He wept silently knowing full well that this could be the end of his friendship with Tohma Seguchi and his relationship with Tatsuha Uesugi.

~Owari~

**Angel Eyes Kiyone**- Sorry that took so long guys. I was actually waiting for one more review but I just couldn't wait any longer. Wait until you guys read the next chapter. I'm so proud of it. Haha! Everything is coming together nicely. So review review review. And thanks for being so patient with me. Next chapter: The New York Case. Ja ne!


	12. The New York Case

Gravitation

Disclaimer: I don't own Gravitation. Maki Murakami does.

**Angel Eyes Kiyone**: Hey guys. Here's the new chapter I promised you. I hope you enjoy it as much as I enjoyed writing it.

Hiroshi sat in silence in his single room apartment. The hairs on his arms were standing on end. The silence was driving him mad. His cel phone was constantly ringing. It was either Shuichi's family, Mr. K. calling to check up on him, or from Ayaka. Hiroshi couldn't bring himself to tell her about the accident. There was no reason for him to worry her. The red head picked up his guitar from the side of the bed and started strumming. It was just a random bluesy song he just came up with.

A few seconds later, there was a knock at the door. Hiroshi's heart skipped a beat. He placed the guitar on the bed and quickly got up to answrer the door practically flinging it open. Hiroshi's heart stopped beating for a moment and all the color left his face. Before him stood Ayaka Usami, his girlfriend of one year. She, for one, did not look very happy. She was furious. Without a word, she pushed Hiroshi aside and stepped inside the apartment.

"Um...A-Ayaka," Hiroshi stuttered, "what are you doing-"

"How long?" She asked interupting him.

"Huh?" He asked confused.

"How long were you planning on waiting to tell me?" She asked folding her arms over her chest.

"Tell you what?" He asked utterly confused.

"Do I really look that stupid to you, Hiroshi?" She asked rather coldly.

"A-Ayaka, I don't know what you're-"

"I saw the news, Hiroshi!" She screamed at him.

Tears were starting to form in her eyes. At that moment, Hiroshi felt stupid. He had avoided talking to her about the accident because he didn't want her to worry about it. But the red head finally realized how incredibly stupid that was. It was all over the news; all over Japan. How was she not supposed to find out?

"I know about Mr. Shindou's accident." She said with clenched fists. "I spoke to Tatsuha. He told me about what happened at the hospital. Why did you do that? Why did you hit Eiri?"

"Ayaka-"

"Why did you hit him?" She demanded.

"**Because he deserved it, that's why!**" Hiroshi snapped. "He's the reason Shuichi's in a coma right now!"

"Is that really what you believe?" She asked with tears now running down her face.

"..."

"You just can't see it, Hiroshi." Ayaka said softly.

"Can't see what?" Hiroshi said in an irritated voice.

" Eiri never meant to hurt Mr. Shindou."

"And how do you know that?" He asked.

"Because Tatsuha told me." She said with a serious tone that made Hiroshi's eyes go wide. "He was with Eiri the night of the accident. He told me that when Eiri saw the news, he broke down crying. And not once have I ever seen Eiri cry."

"I-"

"That's not all." She went on. "Tatsuha said that Eiri confessed his true feelings for Shuichi. And that after you and his family left the hospital, he went back to see him."

"What?" Hiroshi said surprised.

"Eiri held his hand and spoke to him." Ayaka told him.

"Did...Tatsuha tell you what he said?" Hiroshi asked combing his fingers through his hair.

"I think it was 'You're here because of me' and 'You better not die on me, Brat.'"

"He really said all of that?" Hiroshi asked chuckling.

"Yes." Ayaka said simply.

"Well then...er..." Hiroshi struggled to say. Something still didn't seem right to him. "If he cares so much about him, why did he kick him out?"

"I don't know Eiri's reason for that," Ayaka replied, "but Tatsuha thinks it has something to do with Mr. Seguchi."

"Mr. Seguchi?" Hiroshi said dumbfounded. "Why?"

"I don't know." Ayaka said. "I mean he is their brother-in-law. But Tatsuha can't stand him for some reason."

"I wonder why." Hiroshi said to himself.

"Anyways," she said interupting his thoughts, "I think you should give Eiri a break. I don't know why he acts the way he does towards Shuichi, but I know he has strong feelings for him. I can see it in his eyes. I can hear it in his voice."

"You're absolutely certain about this, aren't you?" Hiroshi asked in all seriousness.

"Yes." She replied.

"..."

"..."

"Alright then." Hiroshi said softly.

"Thank you Hiroshi." Ayaka said.

She wrapped her arms around his neck and pulled him in for a kiss.

"No." He said breaking the kiss. "Thank you."

~Meanwhile~

Detective Lenner made his way to the interagation room. His partner, a raven haired woman sat across the table from an elderly man with long white hair and a gotee. There were some teeth missing in his mouth. He had liesions on his arms. His lips were chapped and there were dark circles under his eyes. Obvious signs of a homeless person. But the case wasn't about him. It was a case that had not been settled in seven years.

"What did you see that day, Mr. Gordon." She asked him stirnly.

"I didn't see nothin'." The old man said. "All I heard were five shots go off."

"What else?" The woman asked.

"Uh-uh...there...there was this Asian guy walkin' by when it happened. He stopped and looked up at the spot where the shot went off."

"What did he do?" She asked.

"He stood there for a minute with this crazy look on his face and then he said somethin'."

"Did you hear what he said?" She asked.

"I couldn't understand him. He was speakin' in a different language."

"Did he go inside the building?" The woman asked him.

"Yeah." Mr. Gordon replied. "He went in."

"Can you remember the words he used?" The woman asked him. "Maybe we can translate it."

"You expect me to remember what he said after seven years?" Mr. Gordon snorted. "Is this brawd crazy or somethin'?"

"Alright!" Detective Lenner said holding up his hand. "Can you at least discribe the guy for us? What he looked like? What he was wearing?"

"Yeah." Mr. Gordon said. "He was about 5'6, 5'7, white blonde hair, uh...black turtleneck sweater, and khaki pants. Oh, and...he was also wearing white sneakers with uh...some...red design on it."

"Alright." Detectiver Lenner said nodding his head. "Thank you, Mr. Gordon. "You're free to go now. We'll be in touch."

"Yeah, sure." The old man said as he got up to leave the room.

Detective Lenner gathered up all of the information he and his partner collected. He was going to have one hell of a long night.

"Tired?" The woman asked.

"Oh, you have no idea." Lenner chuckled rubbing the back of his neck. "Seven years and this case has just been opened."

"Yeah, no kidding." The woman said standing up from her chair. "You need help with any of this?"

"No, it's alright, Deb." Detective Lenner said. "You should head on home and get some sleep. We've got another big day tomorrow."

"Alright then." Deb said gathering up her belongings. "See you tomorrow then."

"Goodnight." Lenner said yawning. He continued looking through the information. He pulled out a sheet of paper from a manilla folder and looked it over.

There were names of murder victoms and suspects from the case he was working on.

"Derek White." Lenner read out loud to himself. "African American male, 6'1, brown eyes. Age: 28." He read the next name. "William Martinson. White male, 5'9, blue eyes, age: 30, brown hair."

He kept on reading. "Yuki Kitazawa. Asian male, 5'9, brown eyes, age: 27. Brunette."

Detective Lenner looked at the name. He had heard that name a couple of times in the past. It had something to do with murder victoms that had been raped before being killed. When eye witnesses came forward, they all mentioned seeing an asian male fleeing the scene. It was always the same exact description. Asian male, 5'8, brunette. Detective Lenner pulled out his cell phone and decided to make a phone call.

"Stan," he greeted the person over the phone, "it's Lenner. Listen, I need you to do a background check on all three murder victoms from this case I'm working on. Derek White, William Martinson, and Yuki Kitazawa. -Yeah- thorough background checks -yeah - thanks."

With that, Lenner hung up the phone. He went through the folder again. This time, he pulled out a piece of paper with only two names on it. The name at the top was a victom/suspect. The other was a witness/suspect. Lenner looked at the two names.

"Eiri Uesugi." He said to himself. "Tohma Seguchi. Eiri Uesugi. White male, 5'5, hazel eyes, golden blonde hair. Age: 16. Tohma Seguchi. Asian male, 5'7, blue eyes, white blonde hair. Age: 24."

Something didn't seem right to the detective. He looked at the names again. "Eiri Uesugi. White male. Golden blonde hair. Hazel eyes. ... ...Eiri Ue-su-gi. The name sounds Asian. He can't possibly be white."

Like a lightning bolt, a sudden thought struck Lenner. The name Tohma Seguchi. He read the man's description again.

"Tohma Seguchi." He read out loud. "Asian male. 5'7, blue eyes, white blonde hair...holy shit."

FLASH BACK

"He was about 5'6, 5'7," Mr. Gordon explained, "white blonde hair, black turtleneck sweater, and khaki pants. Oh, and... he was also wearing white sneakers with uh...a red design on it."

END FLASH BACK

Lenner couldn't believe it. But he also couldn't let himself get carried away. The description that the old man gave hm was more than accurate. He just hoped it wasn't a coincidence. He pulled out his cell phone one last time and dialed Stan again.

"Hey, Stan- yeah sorry to bother you again. I need two more names. Eiri Uesugi and Tohma Seguchi. -Yeah, thanks alot. Bye." He hung up the phone."Thank you, Mr. Gordon, you old geezer." Lenner chuckled. "You just made my job a whole lot easier. So much for a long night."

The detective gathered up the papers and placed them back in the folder. He left the interogation room and went to the main office where they kept all of their files. After placing the folder in the filing cabinet, he took off with a plan already in mind.

The next day, Lenner walked into his office ready to work; the manilla folder in hand. His partner, Deb strolled in after him. She couldn't help but notice the look of satisfaction on his face.

"Well you seem to be in a good mood after a long night's work." She teased.

"That's because I didn't have a long night." He said grinning from ear to ear.

"What?" Deb said looking utterly confused.

"Mr. Gordon just made my work load easier for me." Lenner told her completely amused with himself.

"How so?" Deb asked standing over his desk.

Lenner took the papers he was looking at out of the folder and handed them to Deb. "Look at all of those names and tell me if you notice any similarities." He told her.

Deb took the papers from him and looked them over. She looked at the murder victoms' names. Derek White. William Martinson. Yuki Kitazawa. Then came the victom/suspect. Eiri Uesugi. Then the witness/suspect. Tohma Seguchi.

"Well, these three names are obviously Asian." Deb said. "Wait. Eiri Uesugi. White male, 5'5, golden blonde hair, hazel eyes, age: 16. That name sounds Asian to me."

"Yeah," Lenner told her, "that's the same thing I said."

"Well maybe there was a mistake in his identity." Deb told him curiously. "Or he could have been adopted by an Asian family living here in New York."

"Or a birth defect." Lenner said jokingly.

"That's not funny, Joe." Deb said putting her hands on her hips.

"I'm just saying," Lenner said, "it's possible."

"I suppose." Deb sighed. She looked at the names again. "Wait a second."

"What?" Lenner said with sudden interest.

"Yuki Kitazawa?" She said out loud. "Wasn't this guy a private tutor?"

"You tell me." Lenner replied. "His name popped up in past cases involving rape and murder, but-"

"But he was never questioned." Deb finished for him. "Do we have his record on file?"

"I called Stan last night." Lenner told her. "He should have their background checks done any time now."

Just then, a tall blonde haired male entered Lenner's office with a manilla folder in hand.

"Well, speak of the devil." Deb said with a smile.

"Ah! Just the man I wanted to see!" Lenner said literally jumping up from his chair.

"Down boy." Stan said jerking back playfully.

"Haha! So what do you have for me?"

"Background checks on all three guys as you requested." Stan smirked.

The blonde pulled out three photos. Each of the three murder victoms Lenner wanted. The photos had descriptions on all three males.

"Derek White." Stan said placing the photo on the desk. "Three sexual assult charges. Two women and one twelve year old boy."

"Oh God." Deb snorted in disgust.

"Yeah, I know." Stan replied in agreement. "He was given six months in jail without bail and then they released him."

"How the hell could they let someone like that out of jail?" Deb asked to no one in particular.

"Well, what do you expect?" Lenner replied. "Our whole system is fucked up. You send a drug addict selling marijuana to prison for life, but a rapist and a murderer only get six years."

"Next, William Martinson." Stan went on. "Two counts of house robbery, and two counts of sexual assult, one of which involved his own son."

"Jesus Christ." Lenner said rolling his eyes. "What was the other one?"

"An elderly woman." Stan told him.

"Did she press charges against him?" Deb asked.

"Sadly, no." Stan replied. "She didn't get to. She was rushed to the hospital afterwards and then she died soon after. As for Martinson's son, his wife took his ass to court and won full custody of the boy. Those two got a divorce and she got a restraining order."

"Good." Deb remarked with a sigh.

"Yeah," Stan went on, "except after the divorce and custody hearing, he never went near them again. That was it."

"He never even made an attempt to go near them?" Lenner asked.

"Nope." Stan said. "But you want to know what the really fucked up thing is? He only spent ninety days in jail."

"See? What did I say?" Lenner said with a smirk. "Our system is fucked up. Next."

"Oh, you're gonna love this one." Stan said as he slammed the photo down on the desk. "Yuki Kitazawa. Two speeding tickets and one count of drunk driving."

"And?" Lenner said waiting for him to drop the bomb.

"That's it." Stan said simply.

"That's it?" Both Lenner and Deb said in unison.

"That's right." Stan said grinning from ear to ear. "It also says here that Yuki Kitazawa had a little brother, Yoshiki Kitazawa; a wife, Yuzumi Kitazawa, who died from leukemia, and a son, Riku Kitazawa."

"Well, he's dead now." Deb said. "Who has custody of his son?'

"His brother, Yoshiki." Stan told her.

"Do you have his address?" Lenner asked.

"Uh, yeah right here." Stan said taking out another sheet of paper with the address on it.

"Good." Lenner said. "What about the other two I asked for?"

"No." Stan told him. "I typed in both names but neither of their names are in our system."

"Which means that they're not US citizens." Deb chimed in.

"Alright then. Do you know if Ryo is working today?" Lenner asked him.

"He should be coming in in an hour, why?"

"See if he can get in touch with his brother in Tokyo." Lenner said.

"What's he for?" Deb asked.

"I need him to do background checks on the other two."

Owari~

**Angel Eyes Kiyone**: Now, I'm not so sure how this whole law and order thing goes. I'm just writing this on a whim. I hope you guys enjoyed it though. I'm rather proud of this chapter though. Thank you to those that reviewed: Animecartooncomicgirl, white pedal, Junjou-Angel, Mafe Ly, Kayla (). Cookies for you. And thank you to those who added my story as their favorites. Reeses and snickers to you! I haven't given a name to the next chapter yet. But keep an eye out! Ja ne!


	13. Vision Quest

Gravitation

Disclaimer: I don't own Gravitation. Maki Murakami does.

Shuichi went back to the couple. They had called upon him this time. Time was running short. But they couldn't tell him that. They stayed calm at all times. He sat down in the sand in front of the line.

"We're glad you're here, sweetheart." The woman said softly.

"Am I learning something new about myself?" Shuichi asked.

"Yes." The woman replied. She turned her head towards the sea. "Look out at the sea. Tell us if you see anything."

Shuichi stood up and looked at the sea. Like magic, an image appeared before him. It was a person; a woman. She seemed familiar somehow, but Shuichi couldn't remember where he had seen her before.

"Um…who is she?" He asked turning to the couple.

"You tell us, son." The man said. "Just close your eyes and focus on your emotions."

The boy turned his attention back to the sea. He closed his eyes and took in a deep breath. The wind blew in his face gently. There was a voice coming from the sea. It must have been her voice. It was calling out to him. A smile spread across his face. It felt as if someone had wrapped a warm blanket around him. Without realizing it, he wrapped his arms around himself. There was nothing there. No one was holding him, but he still felt that warmth. He opened his eyes slowly. At that moment, he knew. He knew who she was.

"Well?" The man asked.

"She's my mother." Shuichi responded.

"Very good." The woman said. "Now I want you to figure out who this next person is."

"Okay." He said closing his eyes.

Shuichi took another deep breath and focused on his emotions. The wind blew. He could feel warmth. But that wasn't all he felt. There was also tension; scorn; disappointment; happiness, and relief. Shuichi opened his eyes and looked at the image in the water. It was a man with brown hair and purple eyes just like his.

"He must be my father." Shuichi said.

"Yes." the woman said. "Now let's move on to the next person."

Once more, Shuichi looked out at the sea. He saw an image of a young girl. She couldn't be any older than Sanyo and Jessica. Like the man he saw, she had brown hair, but her eyes were blue like the woman he saw. Shuichi closed his eyes and focused again. The wind blew. Happiness; A smile spread across his face. Annoyance; He scowled and rolled his eyes under closed lids. Sympathy; There was a blank expression with just a touch of pity. Adrenaline; He stood firm, fists clenched, eyes narrow. It was a protective stance; a fight or flight response. He opened his eyes.

"Who is she?" The man asked this time.

"She's my little sister." Shuichi said in a surprisingly serious tone.

"Yes." The woman said. "These three people make up your family."

"My family," Shuichi said in a low voice. There was a rather large smile on his face. "That's so nice."

"That's right." The woman laughed.

"But how could I have forgotten them?" He asked.

"Memories fade away easily in the Horizon, son." The man told him. "The less you remember, the better off you are; that is, if your time is up."

"For those who are not meant to cross over," the woman went on, "they must keep their memories; as many as possible."

"Why is that?" Shuichi asked.

"Memory loss," the man said, "most commonly known as amnesia."

"Oh."

"We still have two more left." The woman told him.

"Okay." Shuichi replied. He turned his attention back to the sea.

There was an image of a red haired male. Shuichi closed his eyes and concentrated. Oddly, he wasn't feeling anything. He tried to focus harder. Still…nothing.

"What's happening?" The man asked confused.

"I don't know." The woman replied. "Something is-"

"Aahh!" Shuichi screamed.

The wind blew fiercely. Shuichi trembled violently; his eyes shut tight. It felt like someone was drilling a hole in his head. Waves began to form in the sea; vicious waves. It was as if the sea was pulling him in. Shuichi slowly opened his eyes. The wind suddenly stopped.

"Well, that's never happened before." The man said a bit shaken up.

"What was that?" The woman asked.

"I don't know." He replied. "Are you alright, son?"

Shuichi said nothing. He just stood there, staring at the image in the water. The couple turned their attention to the sea.

"That's odd." The woman said quietly. "That's never happened before."

An image of a young boy appeared. The image was not pleasant. His hair was matted. His lip was bleeding and his clothes were torn. Shuichi kept his eyes on him. Without realizing what he was doing, he walked toward the sea. It was as if the boy was calling out to him; begging him for help. The boy had golden blonde hair and amber colored eyes. It looked as though he had been beaten to the point of death. There was a limp in his walk. He looked as though he would fall at any moment. Shuichi couldn't help but feel sorry for him. Tears spilled from his eyes. There was just so much pain and suffering in the boy's eyes. What took Shuichi by surprise was when the boy in the water reached out his hand as if to say "help me."

"What happened to you?" Shuichi asked the boy in the water. But no response came.

"He can't hear you, sweetheart." The woman said gently. "He's just an image."

But Shuichi couldn't hear her. His focus was on the poor soul trapped in the sea. The pink haired boy reached his hand out to him as if to offer him help. Words he wasn't aware of speaking spilled from his mouth.

"Come to me." He said. "I won't let them hurt you."

But who was them? Shuichi himself wasn't aware of what was going on or what he was saying. And before he could grab the boy's hand, a vision appeared in his mind.

He stood in front of the tall blonde male; a smile was spread across his face. But it slowly faded as he noticed the suitcases sitting at the man's feet. Now, he was confused. Were they going somewhere? He looked up at him; looked deep into his eyes for an answer. But the answer he received wasn't the one he wanted to hear. The boy started to fall apart. The blonde didn't stop there. He spat even more filth at the younger male. Evil, malicious words fell like venom from the man's lips. All the while he kept that cold, emotionless gaze. The boy was crushed; heartbroken. He had no choice but to put on a fake smile and leave the same way he came in.

Another image appeared in his mind; the red head. He was standing at his door shivering. The blue eyed boy brought him into his apartment, shoes and all. He sat him down and covered him up. He listened intently to his side of the story. The two went out side by side talking about everything and nothing; like old friends.

Shuichi's vision ended suddenly. The image in the water vanished. It was then that he understood.

"What is it, son?" The man asked.

"It was him." Shuichi replied. "The blonde I saw in the water. The red head is my best friend. But the blonde... he's the one who hurt me."

Owari~

**Angel Eyes Kiyone**- Hi, everyone! It's me. I want to thank all of you who reviewed and subscribed and added my story to their favorites. Story subscribers: Rin Hitokiri, damons-hot-as-hell, BetteK, Lilly Bri, JoeyWheeler4evr, NippaNippa123. Favorite Stories: yaoijapan24, damons-hot-as-hell, NippaNippa123, LillyBri. Reviewers: damons-hot-as-hell, lena(), white pedal, Animecartooncomicgirl. I'm sorry this chapter is so short. But the next one is quite long. I couldn't believe how long it was myself. Thank you all of you and to anyone who send in reviews and subscriptions later on. I'm happy to report that I am now a Certified Pharmacy Technician! Happy jolly day! Hooray! That's also one of the other reasons this story is taking so long. I've been studying like mad. But stay tuned for the next chapter. And keep writing yourselves. Luv yas!


	14. Choices

**Gravitation**

**Disclaimer:** I don't own Gravitation. Maki Murakami does.

Angel Eyes Kiyone: Hey everyone! Here is the next chapter! I hope you enjoy it. Honestly, I think it sucks. I don't know what I was thinking when I wrote that crappy…thing! You'll find out. Anyways, enjoy!

The Shindou household was silent. It had been that way for the past few months. The neighbors would stop by to see how they were doing. Yuji, Hiroshi's older brother came by a lot, mostly to sit down and talk for hours on in. But they enjoyed his company. He would often refer to them as mom and pop; most likely because his parents had disowned both him and Hiroshi.

For now, it was just silent. Mr. and Mrs. Shindou had been quarreling back and forth about what to do about their son. It had been over a month before they made their decision. Poor Maiko was thrown in the middle of all of this. Her big brother was lying in a hospital bed, unaware of the decision their mother and father had made. She hadn't gone back to school since the accident. She hardly ever answered her cell phone anymore. Her friends had dropped by her house more than once to ask where the hell she's been. Maiko didn't care though. She wouldn't go back, at least not now.

There was a knock at the door. It was probably just more neighbors just checking up on them. Their refrigerator was packed with food that had been offered to them; out of pity of course.

"Honey, can you answer that, please." Mrs. Shindou asked her husband in a low voice.

"Sure." He replied getting up from the couch. He looked through the peep hole to see who it was. His eyes grew wide in shock. "Well I'll be damned."

"What is it?" Mrs. Shindou asked getting up from the couch.

Without answering, Mr. Shindou opened the door. Mrs. Shindou was taken aback. She had thought that she would never see these people again after their last argument.

"Mr. and Mrs. Nakano." Mr. Shindou said in utter disbelief.

"Hello, Mr. Shindou." Mrs. Nakano said in a low voice.

"May we come in?" Mr. Nakano asked.

Mr. and Mrs. Shindou looked at eachother for a brief moment before deciding to let them in. The two families had not been on good terms with each other since Shuichi and Hiroshi finished high school. The Nakano family had blamed Shuichi for Hiroshi's decision in becoming a rock star instead of a doctor. They had said that Shuichi was a bad influence and a distraction. That was the last time they had spoken since then.

"Come in." Mr. Shindou said opening the door wider to let them in.

"Thank you." Mrs. Nakano said bowing before she and her husband entered the house.

The couple removed their shoes and coats as they entered the house. Mr. Shindou ushered them over to the couch. Mrs. Shindou had offered them some tea, but they refused. Now the two couples sat on opposite ends facing each other. Both were silent for a moment. It was Mr. Nakano who broke the silence.

"We know about the accident." He said out of nowhere.

"All of Japan knows about the accident." Mr. Shindou replied.

"Is he going to be alright?" Mrs. Nakano asked.

"The doctors told us that he's not going to wake up." Mrs. Shindou said. "We had to make a decision as to whether to keep him on life support. We're taking him off on Friday."

Mr. and Mrs. Nakano said nothing. They both looked down in sorrow. Guilt was building up inside of them. Mrs. Nakano opened her purse and pulled out an envelope. It was a letter.

"We kept this for quite some time now." She said handing the envelope to Mrs. Shindou. "It's a letter that…Shuichi wrote to us a few days after the argument."

"Shuichi," Mrs. Shindou said surprised. She took the envelope and opened it quickly. No doubt it was Shuichi's handwriting. She read it out loud.

Dear Mr. and Mrs. Nakano,

Please forgive me. I know that I deserve to be blamed for the decision Hiro has made. And I know that the argument was my fault as well. I accept full responsibility. Please don't blame my mom and dad for this. It was selfish of me to convince Hiro to be in the band with me. But the truth is, I was afraid. He's been the only solid friend I've had my whole life. I really have no idea where I would be without him. I know you've said before that I am a bad influence. It probably is true. I don't mean to be a bad influence on anyone. I try not to be a bad person. I hope you can find it in your hearts to forgive me. And if not, then at least forgive Hiro. The only thing he is guilty of is being a good friend and the brother I never had. He's the person that kept me out of trouble and on my feet. He's the person that gave me the best advice he could; though I didn't always take them. But most of all, he's been my strength. So thank you both for creating such a person, my best friend.

Sincerely,

Shuichi Shindou

Mrs. Shindou folded the letter and placed it on the coffee table. By this time, her face was covered in tears. Mr. Shindou was in awe.

"Shuichi…wrote you that letter?" He asked the couple sitting across from him.

"Yes." Mrs. Nakano said. "We were just as shocked as you are now. We couldn't believe that all this had actually come from your son."

"But you can definitely tell that it's him." Mr. Nakano laughed. "It's beautiful, yes, but the spelling is hideous."

"Ssh!" Mrs. Nakano nudged her husband in the rib.

"No no." Mr. Shindou said. "He's right. Shuichi's handwriting…is hideous!"

"Have you…shown this to Hiroshi?" Mrs. Shindou asked.

"No not yet." Mrs. Nakano replied. "Should we?"

"It's up to you." Mrs. Shindou said handing the letter back to the other woman.

"We would have come by a lot sooner," Mr. Nakano said, "but we weren't sure…how you would react if we just showed up at your door right after that arguement."

"We understand." Mr. Shindou told them.

"Um…where is Maiko?" Mrs. Nakano asked.

"She's in her room sleeping." Mrs. Shindou told them.

"No, I'm not." Came a voice from the top of the stairs.

Everyone in the living room turned their attention to the voice coming from the stairs. There was Maiko. She looked exhausted. Her hair was a loose mess and there were dark circles under her eyes. She descended the stair case and joined her parents on the couch. Mr. and Mrs. Nakano looked at her with pity.

"How are you, Maiko?" Mrs. Nakano asked.

"Miserable." Maiko replied dryly.

"She hasn't been back to school in a while now." Mr. Shindou said.

"Though, she really needs to soon." Mrs. Shindou said rubbing her back.

"That's going to be a while." Maiko said with a blank stare.

"Why do you say that, dear?" Mrs. Nakano asked.

"My brother might die soon." She said without emotion.

"Maiko…" Mrs. Nakano tried to reassure her.

"Why did you come here?" Maiko asked coldly. "Is it because you feel sorry for us?"

"Maiko, that's enough." Mr. Shindou scolded.

"I bet you're actually happy that he's dying, aren't you?" She spat.

"I said that's enough!" Mr. Shindou snapped. "Go to your room, young lady!"

Maiko got up off the couch and stomped up the stairs to her room. Both Mr. and Mrs. Shindou looked at the Nakano couple in embarrassment. They themselves couldn't believe their daughter's behavior.

"We apologize for Maiko's behavior." Mrs. Shindou said. "She's not herself."

"She's upset about her big brother's accident." Mrs. Nakano said softly. "We understand."

"We know we disowned our own two boys," Mr. Nakano said, "but even we wouldn't want something to happen to them."

"Now that you mention it," Mrs. Nakano went on, "what were Hiroshi and Shuichi doing out on the street so late?"

"They went for a walk." Mr. Shindou said plainly.

"For a walk," the Nakano couple said in unison.

"Yeah," Mrs. Shindou responded. "Shuichi was upset. He wanted to go for a walk. So Hiroshi said okay and the two went out."

"Oh." Mrs. Nakano responded in a bit of surprise.

"Of course if Shuichi's so called- boyfriend hadn't kicked him out, he wouldn't be lying in a coma right now." Mr. Shindou snorted.

"How often has that happened?" Mrs. Nakano asked.

"Well from what Hiroshi has told us," Mr. Shindou replied, "quite often."

"And Shuichi still went back to him?" Mr. Nakano asked.

"Apparently so," Mrs. Shindou replied. "I was in utter shock when Hiroshi told me."

"Yeah, Hiroshi can't stand the guy." Mr. Shindou chimed in.

"Well, he looks like a decent young man." Mrs. Nakano said.

"Mm, yeah…decent," Mr. Shindou said in mock sarcasm.

"Until you meet him for the first time," Mrs. Shindou added.

"The guy has playboy written all over him." Mr. Shindou chuckled.

"I agree." Mr. Nakano added. "I mean with a face like that, women probably throw themselves at him constantly."

"That's the other thing that Hiroshi told us." Mrs. Shindou said gesturing with her finger. "Eiri was also cheating on Shuichi with different woman."

"Oh, God," Mrs. Nakano gasped.

"You know it's funny," Mrs. Shindou continued, "because we taught Shuichi not to take any kind of crap from anyone and stand up for what he believes in."

"We're surprised that he stayed with that bastard for so long." Mr. Shindou added.

"So he pretty much treated Shuichi like garbage?" Mr. Nakano asked.

"Pretty much," Mr. Shindou replied.

"And it was Eiri Yuki himself that told us that at the hospital." Mrs. Shindou said.

"Really," Mrs. Nakano said with wide eyes.

"Yes ma'am," she replied shaking her head. "He found out about the accident and showed up at the hospital with his baby brother."

"Baby brother," Mr. Nakano said surprised, "I had no idea he had siblings."

"Oh, you think that's surprising?" Mr. Shindou continued. "He has an older sister who is married to the president of NG Records."

"What," the Nakano couple said in unison.

"So that…would make Tohma Seguchi…his…" Mr. Nakano stuttered.

"His brother-in-law," Mrs. Shindou finished for him.

"You know, I never liked that Tohma Seguchi." Mr. Shindou said staring off into space. "There's just something not right about him."

"I got that too." Mr. Nakano replied. "There's just something evil about him."

"So, what were you saying about Eiri Yuki?" Mrs. Nakano asked getting back to the matter at hand.

"Well," Mrs. Shindou went on, "he told us that he knows he hasn't been treating Shuichi the way he should have."

"'Oh, Shuichi has shown me nothing but pure love,'" Mr. Shindou mocked, "'and I just threw it back in his face.'"

"He really said that?" Mrs. Nakano asked.

"Yes." Mrs. Shindou replied.

"Oh, but you should have seen the look on Hiroshi's face!" Mr. Shindou laughed. "He wanted to murder that bastard! Ha! If that gaijin hadn't held him back, he probably would have."

"Honey, that's not funny." Mrs. Shindou said nudging her husband.

"Of course it is!" Both Mr. Nakano and Mr. Shindou said in unison.

There was a moment of silence before both men burst out laughing like maniacs. Both women looked at each other and rolled their eyes. When was the last time they laughed like this? Little did they know, a certain someone was watching them from the top of the stair way. Quietly, she watched as they laughed. She watched as they shook hands. She watched as Mrs. Nakano comforted her mother as she began to cry for her son. Maiko knew that she had no right to judge them the way that she did. She let her anger get the best of her. That was one trait that she and Shuichi shared. Tears began to form in her eyes as she began thinking about her big brother again. Never again would she hear his voice. Never again would they yell and scream at each other from across the hallway while calling each other names.

The tears spilled. Though she would never see her brother again, Maiko knew that Shuichi would not want her to continue on with anger in her heart and regrets in her mind. She got up and went down stairs to face her parents and Hiroshi's family. They all stopped and looked at her. Mr. Shindou folded his arms over his chest. Before he could say anything Maiko bowed before both sides.

"I'm sorry." She said turning to the Nakano couple. "I shouldn't have lashed out at you guys like that. It was stupid of me."

Mrs. Nakano smiled at her and went over to give her a hug. "It's alright, dear. We know you're hurting. It's okay to be angry. It's the only way to relieve you of sorrow."

Maiko hugged her back and continued to cry. Mr. Nakano joined them in that warm embrace. The doorbell rang. Mr. Shindou went to answer it. He looked through the peep hole first. This time he winced.

"Uh oh," he said.

"What is it?" Mrs. Shindou asked.

Mr. Shindou turned to the Nakano couple who looked a little worried. A sweat drop formed on his forehead and he began rubbing the back of his head.

"Um…if you guys had to choose one son, which one would, you want to show up at your doorstep?"

"Hiroshi." The Nakano couple responded in unison.

"Not quite." Mr. Shindou said quickly before flinging the door open.

The Nakano's eldest son, Yuji stood in the doorway. He looked just as surprised to see them too. Everyone, in both families knew about the argument. And Yuji supported the Shindou family's decision. Shuichi and Maiko were taught to follow their heart and dreams. Though, there was a time when Mr. Shindou tried to convince Shuichi to be a lawyer instead of a rock star. But the boy only did what he was taught. He followed his dreams.

"Yuji!" Mr. Shindou greeted the boy cheerfully. "Come on in, buddy!"

"Um…thanks." He said as he stepped inside. "What's…going on?"

"Oh, just a little chit chat is all!" Mrs. Shindou said in a perky voice.

"Uh-huh," Yuji replied not at all convinced.

"So, Yuji," Mrs. Nakano said turning to her eldest son, "what brings you here?"

"Well, Mrs. Nakano, I could ask you the same question." Yuji shot back mockingly.

"Hey, now," Mr. Shindou said sternly.

"Yuji, don't speak to your mother and father like that." Mrs. Shindou said in a gentle voice.

"They disowned me." He replied coldly. "They're not my parents anymore."

"Yuji!" Mrs. Shindou shouted in shock.

"Okay, Maiko, why don't you and your mother go make some tea." Mr. Shindou said grabbing his wife by the arm and pulling her off the couch.

"Okay." The girl said walking towards the kitchen; her mother close behind her.

"Yuji, we didn't come here to argue." Mr. Nakano reassured the boy. "We only came to apologize to Shuichi's family."

"Why, because you feel sorry for them," Yuji shot back.

"No, Yuji," Mr. Nakano said sternly, "Because we were wrong."

"What?" Yuji said dumbly.

"We were wrong to judge Shuichi the way we did." Mrs. Nakano told him.

"Show him the letter." Mr. Nakano told her.

Mrs. Nakano pulled out the letter to show Yuji. He took the letter from her and read it to himself. The boy was in shock. He folded the letter and handed it back to his mother.

"Shuichi wrote that?" He asked truly shocked.

"Yes." Mrs. Nakano replied. "It was a surprise to us too."

"How long ago did he write this?" Yuji asked.

"Right after the argument," Mrs. Nakano replied.

"I had no idea." Yuji said sorrowfully. "They told you that they're taking him off of life support on Friday, right?"

"Yes they did" Mrs. Nakano said softly.

"So, what are you guys going to do?" He asked.

"All we can do is to be there for them when it happens." Mr. Nakano said.

"Well…I'm glad you guys are being so supportive." Yuji said softly.

"Thank you, Yuji." Mrs. Nakano replied glancing at her husband who rolled his eyes.

"Oh yeah, I forgot something." Yuji said reaching into his jacket for something.

"What is it?" Mr. Nakano asked.

"My roommate recorded something I think everyone should see." He said seriously.

"Who wants tea?" Mr. Shindou asked emerging from the kitchen with his wife and daughter in toe.

'That was fast,' the Nakano family thought to themselves.

"Me!" Yuji yelled jumping up and down like a little kid. "Oh boy oh boy!"

"Down boy," Maiko said jolting back playfully.

Mrs. Shindou set the tea tray on the table and poured the first cup for Yuji. She was taken by surprise when Yuji said, "Thank you, Mommy!" She glanced at the Nakano couple who had blank expressions on their faces. Not a single hint of jealousy or anger was present. Maiko poured tea for them next. Though they refused the first time, they decided to accept it this time. Then she poured one for herself. Mrs. Shindou gave her husband his tea and they all sat in silence for a moment.

"Um, Yuji," Mrs. Nakano said breaking the silence, "isn't there something you wanted to show everyone?"

"Oh yeah," Yuji replied setting his tea on the table. He pulled out the VHS tape from inside his jacket. "My roommate recorded something I think everyone should see."

"What is it, exactly?" Mr. Shindou asked as he watched Yuji turn on the television and flip to a blank screen.

Yuji turned to face them with a serious expression. "It's from the accident." He turned back to what he was doing. The VCR was set to go. He placed the tape inside and pushed it in, then hit the play button.

Everyone focused their attention on the television screen. The news reporter was speaking to a raven haired woman and her husband. The couple seemed to be in misery. The woman's lips were trembling. Her husband held her with tears in his eyes. He had dark brown hair that had been slick back with gel. He looked like he was in his early forties. The woman's voice trembled as she tried to speak.

"We just…wanted…er…wanted to say," She stuttered, "how incredibly sorry…we are…for what happened. We accept full responsibility for our son's actions. He should not have…been out on his own…in the middle of the night."

The woman was too distraught to speak any further. So the news reported turned her attention to the woman's husband. He held her as she cried into his chest.

"We've come to realize that…we can no longer look the other way." He said with tears streaming down his face. "Shuichi Shindou saved our son's life. And for that, we say thank you; we are forever grateful and we hope that…his family can find it in their hearts to forgive us."

The scene switched back to the anchor.

"Well, there you have it, everyone," he said in a low sorrowful voice, "those are the parents of twelve year old Takashi Isawa, the boy who supposedly caused the accident which sent Bad Luck's lead singer, Shuichi Shindou to the hospital two months earlier, and left three people dead. The boy is being interrogated by the police regarding the accident. This scene shows Takashi being questioned by authorities.

"What were you and your friends doing outside so late that night?" The officer asked him.

"We were just…messing around." Takashi replied nervously.

"Why?" The officer asked. "Were you and your friends aware that it was way passed curfew?"

"Yeah, but…" he said fidgeting with his fingers, "we snuck out of our houses because… … …"

"Because what?"

"We…thought it would be fun, I guess."

"You thought it would be fun?" The officer replied calmly. "Do you realize that sneaking out of the house just to have fun left three people dead and the person that saved your life in the hospital?"

Tears were welling up in the boy's eyes. The officer eased off just a little bit. But he still had to tell the kid the truth.

"The truck driver that died was a family man." The officer told him. "He had a wife and three kids. He was the one working to support them all. His wife was a stay at home mom. Now, she's the one who has to work to support them because their dad won't be coming home anymore."

"… … …"

"The driver of the yellow car was a woman on her way home from work." The officer went on. "She didn't have any children, but she had a husband who had gotten off work before she did. He was waiting for her. But now, he has to come home to a quiet house. His wife is gone. He has no one else."

"… …*sniff*…"

"As for the person in the red car," the officer went on, "that was a gaijin. Sadly, we know nothing about him or which country he came from. But I'm sure his family is wondering where he is and why he hasn't returned home yet."

Takashi put his head down on the table and cried silently. He wanted all of this to be a bad dream. He wanted to wake up and find everything back to normal again. But this was reality. His stupidity has caused grief and sadness.

"I'm sorry." He squeaked.

"Look," the officer went on, "we can't throw you in jail for this. I know you didn't mean to hurt anyone. However, you can end up in juvenile detention for sneaking out passed curfew. The judge will consider you a runaway and it will go on your permanent record."

"Okay." Takashi mumbled.

The screen switched back to the anchor again.

"Wow." The man said. "I can't imagine what that boy must be going through. Um…it's not quite certain whether or not Takashi Isawa will actually be placed before the judge or not. But we will keep you posted when we have more information. Till then, this is Tetsuo Yamada on news channel seven."

They all sat there in silence. Yuji looked around at everyone in the room. Maiko had tears in her eyes. His mother was sniffling and Mrs. Shindou had her face buried in her husband's shoulder. It was like before. The Shindou house was quiet; too quiet.

~Meanwhile~

Eiri and Tatsuha sat side by side on the couch in silence. It was the first time they had seen it. The boy that caused the accident was seated before a police officer; being interrogated. The boy's parents in tears because their son had broken the rules, were pleading for forgiveness. Eiri picked up the remote and turned off the television screen. They were both silent for a moment.

"So, that was him, huh?" Tatsuha said to himself.

"It wasn't really his fault." Eiri said out of nowhere. "It was mine. I should be the one sitting in his place."

"Eiri, don't…don't say that." Tatsuha said soothingly.

"Why?" He asked. "It's the truth. This was my fault." He got off of the couch and started pacing back and forth.

"Well, when do you want to go and see him?" Tatsuha asked watching his big brother pace back and forth.

"I-I was thinking Friday." Eiri said unsurely. "But now I'm not so sure I should wait that long."

"You should-"

Tatsuha's statement was cut off by a knock at the door. Eiri stopped pacing. Tatsuha got up and went to answer the door. Without asking who it was, he opened the door. His jaw nearly dropped to the floor when he saw who it was.

"Um…bro," Tatsuha called still in shock.

"What is it?" Eiri said coming to the door. He was taken aback at seeing who it was. "Nakano; what are you doing here?"

"Can we talk?" Hiroshi asked in a rather reluctant tone.

Tatsuha didn't look all that pleased to see or hear Hiroshi considering everything that happened at the hospital.

"You've got balls showing up here like this." He said in a bitter tone.

Without a word, Eiri stepped out from his apartment which took Tatsuha by surprise. Before his younger brother could say another word, Eiri closed the door which caused Tatsuha to pull back in surprise. Now the boy stood in the apartment facing the door. What was Eiri thinking?

On the outside, Eiri stood with his arms folded over his chest and a blank expression on his face. Hiroshi looked the older man up and down. He could tell he wasn't doing so well by the way he looked.

"Man, you look like shit." Hiroshi said shaking his head.

"I feel like shit." Eiri admitted. "What else is new?"

"Did you see the news?" Hiroshi asked.

"Yeah, I just caught it a few minutes ago." Eiri replied. "To tell you the truth, I don't blame the kid at all."

"What does that mean?" Hiroshi asked a little baffled.

"Come on, Nakano," Eiri said looking away, "we both know who's really to blame for this. If I hadn't thrown him out, he'd be okay and none of us would be going through this shit."

"Wow, you certainly know when to get to the point when you want to." Hiroshi said sarcastically.

"What else did you want to comment on?" Eiri asked rolling his eyes. "Or are we done here?"

"Now hold on a minute." Hiroshi said taking a step forward. "Ayaka told me about what you said to Shuichi at the hospital."

"How the hell did she find out about that?" Eiri asked completely confused.

"How do you think?" Hiroshi asked gesturing towards the door.

Eiri turned his head towards the door and narrowed his eyes further. "It figures." He said.

"So is it true?" Hiroshi asked in a soft tone. "Do you really love Shuichi?"

"Yeah," Eiri confessed in a low voice. "I have for some time now. I just wasn't ready to tell him that."

"Well, you don't have a whole lot of time you know." Hiroshi said a little uneasy.

"I know." Eiri said.

"No, I mean you really don't have a whole lot of time." Hiroshi said again. "His parents are taking him off of life support on Friday."

"What?" Eiri said with wide eyes.

Eiri felt his heart sink. He had been completely unaware of this. In a few days, he would lose the one person who meant something to him forever.

"It took them a while to decide," Hiroshi told him, "but after a month, they finally came to an agreement."

"And you're okay with this?" Eiri asked now glaring at the younger male. "You're okay with losing your best friend for good?"

"Look," Hiroshi said defensively, "I didn't agree with their decision, okay? But I don't have a say in this. They're his parents! They make the decisions."

"Like hell they're going to pull the plug without me seeing him." Eiri hissed as he turned to go back inside his apartment.

Hiroshi went in after him. He ignored the raven haired boy who was standing near the door the whole time they were outside talking.

"You want to go now?" Hiroshi asked. "Visiting hours are long passed over."

"Well then when?" Eiri asked turning to the red head.

"Shuichi's family usually doesn't come to see him until the evening." Hiroshi explained. "It's probably best if you go in the morning."

"Fine," Eiri said already making up his mind. "I'm going tomorrow morning."

"Wow." Hiroshi said with wide eyes. "You certainly know how to make up your mind when you want to."

"Wait a minute." Came Tatsuha's voice. He entered the living room and stood next to his big brother. "Why are you helping him all of a sudden? Weren't you the one that blamed him for what happened to Shuichi? Weren't you the one that said 'this isn't over yet, Eiri Yuki?'"

"Mm, yeah I did." Hiroshi said rubbing his chin. "Then I spoke to Ayaka who told me everything that you told her." Hiroshi smiled menacingly at the younger male.

"You and your big mouth," Eiri said glancing at his younger brother.

Tatsuha began to blush in embarrassment. He curled up in a ball on the couch. Though he was only looking out for Eiri, he had no right to go telling Ayaka about the incident at the hospital.

"Hm. So tomorrow morning," Hiroshi asked, "what time?"

"About nine-thirty," Eiri told him.

"Alright," Hiroshi replied, "I'll stop by at about eight-thirty."

"See you then." Eiri replied.

Hiroshi turned to leave the apartment. He turned to take one last look at the boy curled up on the couch. Now was not the time to bring it up. He would ask him about it tomorrow at the hospital.

After Hiroshi left, Eiri went back to the living room and sat down next to Tatsuha.

"You can come out of your hole now." Eiri teased. "I'm not mad at you."

"You're not?" Tatsuha asked looking at Eiri with big beady eyes.

"No." Eiri said rolling his eyes.

"Do you still want me to go with you?" He asked.

"If you want to," Eiri told him. "I'm going to bed."

"Well, see you in the morning then." Tatsuha said yawning.

"Yeah, good night," Eiri replied.

Tatsuha curled up on the couch and went to sleep. As for Eiri, he laid there in bed staring up at the ceiling. His emotions were running wild. He was happy that he was finally going to see his lover, but devastated that he was going to lose him in a few short days. Silent tears fell from his eyes. Eiri was going to have to spill his guts to his unconscious lover. But it would take a miracle to wake the boy from his slumber. The blonde turned over on his stomach and buried his face in his pillow; feeling utterly defeated.

~In the Horizon~

Shuichi sat in front of the line and drew in the sand. He felt confused. The faces he saw in the water were faces of people who cared about him. But the helpless blonde had turned against him. Now he was reaching out for help. Shuichi searched his mind for reasons why he should help the boy.

"You need to decide, sweetheart." The woman told him.

"I don't know what I should do." Shuichi told her. "Even if I helped him, how do I know he won't turn against me again?"

"That's just it." The woman replied. "You don't know if he will or not. But it's your choice to either be the bigger person and help him, or let him suffer."

"Perhaps we can help you just a little bit, son." The man told him. "Take a look at him again."

Shuichi looked back at the blonde haired boy in the water. Bloody; bruised; limping; helpless; eyes pleading.

"That's not a teenage boy who's been beaten up by the bullies in school." The man went on. "That's a poor, naïve soul who's been manipulated, used, and betrayed."

"Betrayed?" Shuichi repeated. "But why? What did he do to deserve that?"

"Let's put it this way, son," the man went on, "you know how pimps operate, right?"

"Um…not really," Shuichi said a little uneasy at hearing the word pimp.

"They go after young children that look or at least seem as though they have no direction." The man explained. "They go after the ones that don't fit in; the ones that are made to feel bad about themselves. They tell them how special they are. They make them feel like they're important. They say "Let me take you away from here and go somewhere where we belong."'

"I see." The boy replied.

"The innocent child is given nice things." The man continued. "They're pampered and before they know it, they're standing on a street corner waiting for johns to come their way. And what's worse is that they don't have a choice."

"So then...someone filled his head with promised lies." Shuichi said nodding his head.

"Yes." The woman replied. "They did it to have their way with him, or at least tried to."

"Tried to?" Shuichi repeated. "What do you mean?"

"Well, let's just say that those who survive the ordeal often end up like him." The man said gesturing to the boy in the water.

"They call it post-traumatic stress." The woman stated.

"Oh." Shuichi said dumbly.

"They also develop trust issues." The man added. "They keep their guard up at all times. And it would take a miracle to bring it down."

"Of course, a person's guard can come down without them even realizing it." The woman said.

"Really," Shuichi asked.

"Yes, really," she replied.

"In coming," Sanyo yelled.

The man and woman looked at each other in somewhat of a shock. Three people were headed in their direction; an elderly man with a white beard, a woman with no hair and no breasts, and a little girl who's skin was a sickly yellow color. The couple shrouded in darkness would often see Sanyo and Jessica in tears when people crossed over. But here they were warning them. It was a sign. They were getting used to seeing this.

"How much longer until they wake up," the woman asked.

"Not long now," the man told her. "Just wait until they start feeling the pull."

"What was that?" Shuichi asked confused.

"It's nothing, honey." The woman said. "Why don't you go spend some time with Sanyo and Jessica?"

"Okay!" Shuichi replied dusting off his hands.

He ran passed the three people who were now crossing the line. Silent tears fell from his eyes. He ran to the other side of the beach and found the twins playing near the jagged boulders; their usual spot.

Meanwhile, the woman helped all three spirits get to the other side. She returned to her position on the rock. Her mate in life sat next to her. Their thoughts went back to the matter at hand; Shuichi.

"I still find it strange that we are helping this boy." The woman said. "Considering his situation in life…"

"I know." The man said. "But the fact of the matter is that boy has a good heart. He risked his life more than once. And that poor soul in the water is in need of an Angel. So to sum it up, he's being pardoned for his sin."

"And if he doesn't help that boy, then…" She said unsurely.

"Then he will continue to suffer from his past." The man stated.

Sanyo and Jessica dodged in different directions as Shuichi ran after them. The three of them laughed together as though they were childhood friends. The Horizon was so beautiful. They felt safe. They felt free. But sometimes freedom was only temporary. Both girls stopped in their tracks. Shuichi bumped into Sanyo's right shoulder blade.

"Uh-oh," she said looking down at her hands.

"What's going on?" Jessica asked feeling her chest getting heavy.

"What's the matter?" Shuichi asked them with concern.

"I feel strange." Jessica said wincing.

"Me too," Sanyo said squeezing her eyes shut.

"S-Sanyo," Shuichi said panicking, "Jessica? What's the matter?"

"Shuichi," the man called after him.

Shuichi turned around and ran back to the couple. He hoped there was something that they could do for the girls. But as he ran, he heard both girls scream. He stopped and turned around. They were gone.

"S-Sanyo," He said seeming rather confused as to what he saw. "Jessica…where _is_ you?" He walked back to where the girls were standing just before they disappeared. Their foot prints were in the sand. Tears fell from his eyes and he fell to his knees. "Where are you?"

The couple sat silently as the boy sat in front of the line sobbing. He was alone again. Sanyo and Jessica vanished before his eyes and he had no idea what happened to them. Slowly but surely, Shuichi started to calm down. But he was feeling utterly sad and lost.

"You shouldn't be grieving for them, son." The man told him. "They're not dead."

"They're n-not? *hick*" Shuichi asked wiping his tears away.

"No, sweetheart," the woman said soothingly. "They went back to their bodies. They're alive."

"Really," Shuichi asked.

"Yes." She replied.

"If it was their time to cross over," the man said, "they would have just stopped what they were doing, turned around, and walked this way without stopping."

"Oh." Shuichi said sadly. It still pained him to see them go. "What do I do now?"

"Go take a walk." The man told him. "Take some time to sort this all out. Besides, you still a decision to make, remember?"

"Right," Shuichi said getting up.

He turned and walked back to the other beach. This time it was quiet. No Sanyo. No Jessica; just him. He walked over to the jagged boulders and sat beneath them. The sea shells that the girls once used were still there. Shuichi picked one up and pressed it to his right ear. There was no ocean. Instead, he heard something else. He listened closely.

"You're here because of me," Said a strange yet familiar voice.

"What?" He said sounding baffled. He blinked in shock.

He pressed the shell to his ear again and listened. The voice came again.

"Please don't leave me." It said sadly.

Shuichi could feel pressure being put on his left hand. This made him drop the shell. He looked at his hand. It looked as though it were being squeezed by something. But there wasn't anything there. The boy twitched his fingers slightly. He heard a sound coming from the sea shell. Once again, he picked it up and pressed it to his ear. The voice came once more.

"You better not die on me, brat." The voice said with what sounded like hope.

"Huh?" Shuichi said dumbfounded. "Brat?" he blinked in shock. He didn't know whether he should be happy or upset at being insulted. Was it even him that the voice was insulting?

Out of nowhere, the wind blew. Shuichi felt a wave of emotions flowing through him. They were all too familiar. They were the emotions he felt due to the boy he saw in the water. The voice from the sea shell came again. This time it was right in front of him; in the ocean. Shuichi got up and walked slowly up to the gigantic body of water. An image appeared before him; the same image as before; the boy who had betrayed him. He reached out to Shuichi, begging for help.

Another wave of emotions came over the pink haired boy. This time they were different. It wasn't shock or heartache. It was sadness and pity. Tears once again fell from his eyes as he gazed at the boy in the water. Suddenly, something caught his eye. There was something behind the struggling boy. Shuichi looked closely. It looked like three men. They were taller than the blonde haired boy. Something about them made Shuichi shiver. The expressions on their faces changed. They went from neutral to malicious. Shuichi flinched. The look in the boy's eyes changed as well. They went from pleading to desperation.

"Help me." The boy said with desperation in his voice.

"Take my hand!" Shuichi said out of nowhere. He reached his right hand out to the boy. "I won't let them hurt you. Come to me."

The boy reached out his hand. But as he did, the image faded. Shuichi stood there for a moment. Another tear fell from his eye. He wiped it away. He straightened himself out and walked back in the direction he had come. This time, he had come to a decision. He knew what he had to do. When he approached the purple line, the couple greeted him.

"How do you feel, son?" The man asked him.

"Better." Shuichi said with seriousness that even took him by surprise.

"You look like a man who's determined." The man chuckled. "Have you made your decision yet?"

"Yes." He replied with the same seriousness.

"What will you do then, sweetheart?" The woman asked softly.

"I'm going to help him." He said and sat down in the sand. "Tell me what I should do."

OwarI~

Angel Eyes Kiyone: Sorry for not updating in a long time, guys. I've been so busy with stuff and searching for a new job as a pharmacy technician. But no such luck. *sniff* I'll have to wait till fall or winter when things pick up. Plus, this chapter was so long, it took me forever to finish typing it. Hey, anyone here a fan of J-pop or K-pop? I found a fanfiction site where you can write about your favorite bands. It's called . It's so much fun. If anyone decides to check it out, look me up. Blue_Bunny_Zelo. Anyway thanks for reading and reviewing and look out for the next chapter.


	15. Helpful Tension, Blind Suspicion

**Gravitation**

Disclaimer: I don't own Gravitation. Maki Murakami does.

Eiri made sure to set his alarm clock at seven o'clock. As soon as the alarm went off, he jumped out of bed. Normally, he would sleep until noon, but today he was going to see his lover. Eiri hadn't been able to get near him in two months. This was his chance.

Tatsuha was still sleeping on the couch when Eiri entered the kitchen. He would have his coffee first then brush his teeth and take a bath. The younger Uesugi's eyes fluttered open when he heard someone set a mug down on the coffee table. He looked over to see his brother sitting on the couch across from him with a distant look on his face.

"Bro," Tatsuha called to him. "You okay?"

"Yeah," Eiri replied taking a deep breath. "I just can't believe I'm actually going to get to see him again."

Tatsuha pulled his covers off and sat upright on the couch. "I know. Whatever you didn't get to say to him last time, you'll get the chance to say today."

"Yeah," Eiri replied, "but I'm not sure I'm ready to say it all at once though."

"Yeah, but you know there's not a lot of t-"

"I know." Eiri said cutting him off.

There was a long moment of silence. Eiri continued to drink his coffee. Tatsuha got up and made himself breakfast. Before long, it was eight o'clock. Hiroshi had said he'd drop by at eight-thirty to go with them to the hospital. As soon as he finished his coffee, Eiri went into the bathroom to brush his teeth and take a shower. As soon as he stepped out of the shower, the doorbell rang.

"I'll get it!" Tatsuha yelled from the living room.

Eiri heard Hiroshi's voice coming from the living room. He quickly hurried off to his room to get dressed for he didn't want to waste any more time.

"Hey Tatuha," Eiri yelled from the bedroom, "you better get ready now. I don't want to waste time."

"Yeah, yeah," Tatsuha replied, "alright. Have a seat."

Hiroshi sat down on the couch with a distant look on his face. "Thanks." He said to the younger Uesugi as he walked off.

Last night, he couldn't sleep. He kept waking up with his heart racing. Not a good sign. He couldn't shake the feeling that something was wrong.

"Hey." came Eiri's voice from behind the red head.

"Hey." Hiroshi replied. "You ready to go?"

"Yeah," Eiri told him, "we just have to wait for Tatsuha. He wanted to come with us."

"Speaking of which," Hiroshi said, "how're things going with him and Mr. Sakuma?"

"I don't think those two have spoken in a while." Eiri replied pulling out a cigarette from his shirt pocket.

"Huh? Why not," Hiroshi asked. "Did they get into a fight?"

"Not quite." Eiri responded. "You'd be better off talking to him about it?"

"Oh. Well does Mr. Seguchi know that those two are together?" Hiroshi decided to ask.

"No." Eiri said narrowing his eyes at the red head. "And neither does my sister."

"Oh, I see." Hiroshi snickered.

Eiri pulled out his lighter from the same pocket. When he ignited the flame, his heart beat increased. Talking to Hiroshi about it would have been pointless. He'd think the blonde had gone crazy. So Eiri decided to keep that quiet.

Tatsuha stepped into the living room ten minutes later; fully dressed and ready to go. Eiri put his cigarette out in the ashtray on the coffee table. The three of them got up and left the house. Tatsuha rode with his brother while Hiroshi followed along side them on his motor cycle. Like before it took twenty minutes to get to the hospital. But Eiri couldn't just go in like before. Shuichi's family didn't want him going near him. So they told the front desk that if Eiri Yuki came by to keep him out of Shuichi's room. Luckily, Hiroshi had a plan and they both came prepared. Both Eiri and Tatsuha put on their hats and sunglasses and entered through the front door. Hiroshi stood outside and pulled out his cell phone.

"Here goes nothing." Hiroshi said to himself.

Hiroshi pushed the speed dial button on his cell phone and held it to his ear. The receptionist at the front desk picked up the phone. Eiri turned his head to see Hiroshi's mouth moving from outside. He looked back at the receptionist. Whatever Hiroshi said to her made her turn away and face her computer. That was when Eiri and Tatsuha quietly walked passed her desk. Luckily for them, the desk was too high for her to see over and the swinging doors didn't make a sound. Eiri wasn't one for sneaking in and out of places. But at this point, he was desperate to see Shuichi.

They made it to room 204 without any problems. There wasn't a single security guard in sight. Eiri opened the door and entered the room. The room looked different. Shuichi's side was decorated with posters and wall paper. There was a corner table with a small radio on it. Eiri made his way over to Shuichi's bedside; his heart hammering like crazy.

The old bandage that was wrapped around his head was gone. His hair had grown longer in the past two months. His eyes remained open and would only blink every five minutes. Eiri pulled up a chair and sat beside him. He gently took Shuichi's right hand into his own and pressed his lips against the back of the boy's hand.

"Hey, Shu," Eiri whispered softly, "it's me, Yuki."

There was instant movement. Shuichi's fingers twitched twice. Eiri's eyes went wide at the sudden movement. Tatsuha came over and stood next to his brother.

"Tatsuha," Eiri whispered, "he moved."

"I saw that." Tatsuha replied with a toothy grin.

"Hey," Eiri whispered softly, "can you hear me?"

Just then, Hiroshi came tiptoeing in which startled the siblings. He pulled up another chair and sat on the opposite side of Shuichi's bed facing the blonde. Tatsuha moved to the foot of the bed. Hiroshi gently took Shuichi's left hand into his own. He kissed the back of his best friend's hand. A single tear fell from his eye.

"Hey, buddy." The red head whispered. "I'm back. I brought Yuki and Tatsuha to see you."

The comatose boy closed his fingers around Hiroshi's own fingers. The three men in the room looked utterly baffled. Hiroshi looked over at Eiri who was now scowling at him. Tatsuha saw this and went over to his brother's side. No one said anything for a long time. They only sat there in silence; staring at one another.

MEANWHILE~

Shuichi stood in front of the ocean with his eyes closed. He took deep, slow breaths; inhaling through his nose and exhaling through his mouth. He was learning how to keep his mind and body calm. He needed to do this so he could help save the boy in the water. However, his thoughts were interrupted by light pressure on both of his hands.

"Now what," he said feeling rather annoyed.

"Don't ignore that touch, son." The man on the other side told him. "They're trying to tell you something. Listen. Feel the emotions through the touch.

Shuichi did as he was told. He focused on his right hand first. Closing his eyes, he took a deep breath and concentrated. A rush of relief ran through him briefly. Then came surprise. This caused the boy's right hand to twitch not once, but twice. He nearly choked on his own saliva as a wave of bafflement came over him. Without realizing it, he began rocking back and forth on the ball and heel of his feet. Then another wave of emotion came over him. He scowled; jealousy. He stopped rocking. He slowly opened his eyes. He saw the face of his right hand in the water. It was the blonde; the tortured soul.

"I wonder why he's jealous." Shuichi said out loud to himself.

"Jealous is he?" The woman asked. "Why?"

"I don't know," Shuichi replied, "but I'll find out."

He closed his eyes again and focused on his left hand this time. A gentle wind blew. The first emotion was a mixture of sympathy, happiness, and sadness. Something soft and mushy pressed itself to the back of his left hand. He smiled softly at the contact. His fingers closed around the invisible fingers clutching his left hand. The boy opened his eyes and saw the face of his left hand in the water. It was the red head; his best friend. A rush of bafflement swept through him followed by a slight sense of pride.

"So that's what happened!" Shuichi blurted out loud to himself with eyes open wide.

The couple laughed at this sudden outburst. Shuichi couldn't help but grin from ear to ear. The realization that the blonde and the red head were butting heads because of him was just amusing to him. But a sudden thought struck him as the images disappeared.

"What's the matter, son?" The man asked him.

"He's trying so hard." Shuichi said with a distant look.

"Who is?" The woman asked.

"The one who betrayed me," Shuichi replied, "he's trying so hard to regain my trust."

"And do you think you can ever learn to trust him again?"

"I don't know," Shuichi replied, "maybe. I mean I did agree to help him didn't I?"

"Just because you chose to help him, doesn't mean you agreed to trust him, son." The man explained to him. "Agreement and trust are two very different things. There are those that make agreements with people they don't trust. And then there are those that do trust people but don't always agree with them. Do you see what I'm saying?"

"Yes." Shuichi nodded.

"Earning someone's trust can take a long time." He continued. "Regaining someone's trust that has been broken can take longer."

"It depends on the type of person that you are." The woman told the boy. "Do you know what kind of person you are, Shuichi?"

The pink haired boy closed his eyes. He tried to focus on his own emotions, but he was interrupted by the woman in front of him.

"No, no." She said to him. "This isn't something that you can focus on. It is something that you should already know."

"I-I…"

"You really don't know?" The woman asked.

"N-no," he replied with his head down.

"Here, why don't we make this easier." The man said. "Take a look at the water."

Shuichi did as he was told. A face he didn't recognize appeared before him; a man with dark blue hair and brown eyes. The water flashed to a full body image. In the image, the man was hanging onto something. There was terror in his eyes as he held on for dear life. Shuichi was horror stricken. He closed his eyes tight and imagined himself standing in front of the place the man was hanging from. A wind blew and when he opened his eyes again, he found himself standing on a cliff. He saw a pair of fingers hanging off of the cliff. Shuichi quickly ran and knelt down, grabbing the man's hands before he slipped to his death.

"Hang on!" Shuichi grimaced as he struggled to pull him up. "I got you! Use your feet and climb up!"

The man did as Shuichi had instructed. Together, they worked to pull the man up on top of the cliff. They both backed away from the edge.

"Are you okay?" Shuichi asked the man who was now brushing himself off. As he stood up straight, Shuichi saw the look on his face. The man scowled at him with such malice and hate. Shuichi was utterly shocked. He just saved this guy's life and here he was glaring at him.

Without a word the man turned and walked away. Shuichi gritted his teeth and turned away from him. He found himself standing in front of the ocean once again. There was no more sign of the ingrate that he just saved.

"What was that?" Shuichi asked in an exasperated voice. "I just saved that guy's life and he doesn't even say thank you!"

"Well at least you know what kind of person you are." The woman said calmly.

"Um…what kind of person is that exactly?" The boy asked scratching his head.

"The kind of person who would risk his own life even to save his enemy," the man answered for him.

"Enemy," Shuichi replied dumbly.

"Yes," the woman told him, "that boy was one of your rivals. He would have done everything in his power to hurt you."

"Wow. I had no idea." Shuichi said.

"And if you did know," the man asked, "would you have still helped him?"

"He may be my worst enemy," Shuichi stated, "but not even my worst enemy deserves to die like that."

"At it, boy," the man said raising both hands in the air.

"See, that's the kind of person you are!" The woman added.

"I guess so." Shuichi laughed rubbing the back of his head.

~At the hospital~

Hiroshi and the Uesugi siblings sat in silence. Eiri still had a hold of Shuichi's hand, hoping that somehow his lover would squeeze his hand instead of giving him the usual twitch. Eiri knew that his words had deeply hurt Shuichi; in more ways than one. He had to apologize. However, his pride kept him from saying it in front of the red head. If he was going to do this, he was going to do it alone.

"Hey, Tatsuha," Hiroshi said breaking the silence.

"Huh?" The boy replied staring off into space.

"Um…I've been meaning to ask you…"

"What?" Tatsuha asked looking confused.

"Why do you think Seguchi has anything to do with this?" He asked.

Tatsuha's eyes went wide. Eiri dropped Shuichi's hand and turned to give his brother the look. The younger male was at a loss for words. He started backing away from his older brother. Eiri gave him another look that told him to get the hell out of here before I kill you. Knowing what that look meant, Tatsuha got up and left the room.

"Okay…" Hiroshi said scratching his head. "What was that for? He didn't even answer my question."

"And he's not going to." Eiri said scowling at the red head.

"Why not," Hiroshi asked glaring at the blonde.

"Look, just forget about what Ayaka told you." Eiri said.

"You're hiding something." Hiroshi shot back.

"So what if I am?" Eiri replied coldly. "It has nothing to do with you."

"Actually, it does if it involves my best friend." Hiroshi protested.

Eiri went quiet. He knew Hiroshi had a point. Tatsuha had some serious explaining to do.

"Forget it." Eiri said. He got up from his chair and left the room. He was done for today. "Let's go." He said to Tatsuha.

Hiroshi remained by his best friend's bed side. Shuichi's eyes blinked once and his fingers loosened on Hiroshi's hand.

"I know he's hiding something, Shu." Hiroshi said to his comatose friend. "I'm going to find out what it is."

~The Horizon~

"Uh-oh," Shuichi said while concentrating.

"What is it dear?" The woman asked worried.

"There was some serious tension just a moment ago." He told her. He shook his right hand which had been released. He could no longer feel the blonde's presence.

"Oh, I almost forgot." the woman said interrupting the boy, "do you have a sea shell, dear?"

"They're over by those big boulders where Sanyo and Jessica liked to play." Shuichi told her.

"Go and get them." She told him. "You'll need them both."

"Okay." He said as he ran off to retrieve the shells.

"He's making very good progress." The man said to the woman next to him.

"Yes," she agreed, "it won't be too long now."

Shuichi reached the spot where he had left the sea shells. Curiously, he put the sea shell up to his left ear and listened closely.

"He's up to something, Shu," said the voice of the red head. "I'm going to find out what it is."

"Oh, boy," Shuichi said with wide eyes, "that does not sound good." He put the other sea shell to his right ear.

"So what if I am? It has nothing to do with you."

"This is bad." Shuichi said to himself. He quickly returned to the line and told the couple about what he had heard.

"Just as we suspected," the man replied.

"What do you mean?" Shuichi asked him.

"Do you remember what I told you about that blonde haired boy?" The man asked. "I said he had been betrayed and used. He ran away from his problems instead of facing them."

"Yes, I remember." Shuichi replied softly. "You said it was called…post-traumatic stress?"

"That's right." He replied. "They're not willing to open up and talk about their problems with just anyone. Their family members try to shield them from anyone or anything that reminds them of that horrific event. They don't realize that they're only making the problem worse by doing so."

"The trauma victim themself will avoid people or places that remind them of the event." The woman chimed in.

Shuichi thought really hard about this, but something just didn't add up to him. Something just didn't make sense.

"I must have reminded him of his past then." Shuichi said.

"Yes." The woman replied.

"But if I reminded him of his past," Shuichi went on, "then why didn't he just avoid me? Why didn't he tell me to leave him alone from the get go?"

"There could be a number of possibilities, sweetie." The woman told him. "He could have felt a strong connection."

"Or he was taking his first steps to getting over his past and he himself didn't even realize it." The man added.

"Is that possible?" Shuichi asked.

"Of course," the woman replied. "As a doctor, I've seen this kind of thing happen before. There are professionals who know everything about pot-traumatic stress and can help the victim take steps to leaving their past behind."

"They can even point out to the victim the different ways that they've helped themselves with their stress." The man added.

"Really," Shuichi asked surprised.

"Really," the man replied.

"But in this case, dear," the woman went on, "it has to be you."

"Help him," the man added, "and things could be better for you both."

Shuichi said nothing. He looked at the sea shells in his hands. More than anything, he wanted things to get better. He wanted to go home to his best friend; to his family. At the same time, he would miss the Horizon. It was probably the most peaceful place he had ever been. There was no crime, no violence, no hate, and no regrets. Shuichi knew that once he left the Horizon, he would never return. He wouldn't return until the end of his existence.

"May I have a moment?" He asked the couple.

"Of course, dear," the woman said softly.

Shuichi left one last time and returned to the jagged boulders. He sat beneath them and looked out at the ocean. The water glistened with breath taking beauty. The color changed constantly with each wave. The ever- lasting sunset cast distant mountains into shadows. He would miss this. He would miss everything.

A rock sat next to him in the sand. It was just a plane white rock; the kind you use to scrape chalky white powder onto concrete. He turned to face the boulder he was sitting against. With the rock in hand, he started scraping letters onto the large gray stone. He finished off by tracing a shape around the words. That was that. Tears began to spill from his eyes. This time he let them run freely. He placed the white rock under the boulder, took one last look at his playground, and left. This time it was for good.

On the boulder, Shuichi had written:

Sanyo, Jessica and Shuichi

Friends of the Horizon forever

He drew a heart around the words to seal their friendship. Even if he never saw them again in life, he would always remember them.

Owari~

**Angel Eyes Kiyone**: Hey guys! I'm sorry this took so long. I haven't forgotten about this story. I've just been so preoccupied with other stuff. Plus, I've also been really lazy. LOL But no, I have not forgotten about this story. I do plan on ending it. So don't worry, I will continue. I'm really happy with the way the next chapter was written. It revolves more around the case in New York, so stick around. I would like to thank all of my reviewers:

Manga Ren, damons-hot-as-hell, and white pedal.

Thanks to all of my story alert subscriptions:

Tommysgirl1988, Miyuki1393, Sugarpony, kickassclumsy, omichiri6183, gothpandaotaku, Manga Ren, Lori de Bartoni, Purple Lulu

Thanks to those who favorite my story:

Kickassclumsy, Miyuki1393, omichiri1683, gothpandaotaku and Manga Ren

And special thanks to Shadowfox13. Because of your comment, I found enough energy to get off my lazy ass and start typing this chapter. LOL. So thank you for that. Thank you to everyone reading this story. Ja ne.


	16. Gathering The Facts

**Gravitation**

Disclaimer: I don't own Gravitation. Maki Murakami does.

Lenner and Deb stood in front of the apartment. Taking a deep breath, Lenner knocked on the door and waited for a response. He could hear two sets of footsteps. A female voice came from inside.

"Who is it?" asked the woman's voice.

"Detective Lenner and Detective Patterson," Lenner replied holding his badge up to the peep hole.

Without a response, the woman opened the door. She stood in the doorway with a young boy poking his head out by her side.

"Can I help you, detectives?" She asked with a smile.

"We're looking for Yoshiki Kitazawa," Lenner told her, "we were told that we could find him here."

"Riiku, honey, why don't you go watch t.v. in your room." She told the boy. He ran off and the woman opened the door wider. "That would be me."

Lenner and Deb looked at each other with confusion.

"Um…the Yoshiki Kitazawa we're looking for is a male." Lenner said.

The woman started to clear her throat. Deb and Lenner noticed her voice starting to change.

"That would be me." A masculine tone came from the woman's throat.

Lenner's eyes went wide with shock. Deb nearly choked on her own saliva. The two looked at each other again. The woman giggled. This time, her voice returned to a female tone.

"Um…we…have a few questions to ask you about your brother." Lenner said still a little baffled. "Mind if we come in?"

"Not at all," Yoshiki said cheerfully, "come on in!"

Deb and Lenner stepped inside the apartment. Yoshiki ushered them over the couch and offered them something to drink. They both refused. Yoshikik sat on another couch diagonally from them. Before Lenner or Deb could say anything, Yoshiki spoke up.

"You're wondering about the murder that took place seven years ago, right?" She asked.

"Right," Lenner replied, "three people were killed. Two of them were convicted felons. And of course, there was your brother."

"He had it coming." Yoshiki replied boldly.

"Excuse me?" Deb asked looking surprised.

"My brother was a disturbed soul, detectives." Yoshiki told them. "He didn't really give a damn about anything or anyone."

"But your brother was a private tutor, was he not?" Deb asked.

"Yeah," she replied plainly, "brilliant minded he was. But he had many skeletons in his closet."

"How so," Lenner asked.

"My brother and I moved to the states right after our parents died." Yoshiki told them. "He said that a change of scenery would be good for us. He didn't take their deaths very well."

"Was he very close with your parents?" Deb asked.

"Of course," Yoshiki said. "They practically worshiped him. He was the brightest in his class, he was taking honors, and he played sports."

"So what was the problem?" Lenner asked.

"He was getting bullied at school." Yoshiki replied. "The kids called him a nerd or geek. They were only jealous of him because he was so smart."

"That must have been tough on him." Deb said sadly.

"It was." Yoshiki replied. "He told our parents that he wanted to drop out, but they wouldn't let him."

"So, what did he do?"

"He started to rebel against them." Yoshiki went on. "He'd stay out late. He started drinking. He even lost his virginity when he was seventeen."

"What did your parents do about it?" Lenner asked her.

"They could see that he was falling apart." Yoshiki went on. "They wanted him to stop. So they decided to let him drop out. They went to his school and spoke to the principal; sorted everything out. They went over his school records and saw how well he was doing. Surprisingly, they decided to give him a diploma."

"So he pretty much graduated early." Lenner said simply.

"Pretty much," Yoshiki said with a shrug. "Our dad made him get a job though. He got a part time job in a library. He didn't really have a lot of friends so most of his time was spent working."

"When did he start tutoring?" Deb asked.

"It wasn't until after we moved here." Yoshiki said. "Three years went by after that. Yuki moved out of the house. He kept his job at the library. He took on a few extra jobs on top of that. But…"

"But what," Lenner asked.

"Yuki had left some of his belongings at our parents' house." Yoshiki said with a sigh. "One of those items included a flash drive and some porno magazines."

"What was on the flash drive?" Lenner asked.

"Um…child…pornography," Yoshiki struggled to say.

Deb and Lenner looked at each other with rising suspicion. They were getting closer to what they needed to know.

"Did you show it to your parents?" Lenner asked.

"No," Yoshiki replied.

"Why?" Deb asked.

"My parents had this perfect picture of their oldest son in their minds." Yoshiki went on. "They would have disowned him if they found out."

"So you hid it from them." Deb guessed.

"Yes." Yoshiki answered.

"Do you still have the flash drive?" Lenner asked.

"No," Yoshiki answered, "Yuki came back home for a visit and I gave him the flash drive."

"What did he say to you?"

"He asked me if I told our parents." Yoshiki went on. "I told him no. I told him I would never tell on him and I never did. After he died, I went through his stuff, but…I never found the flash drive."

"So when exactly did your parents die?" Deb asked.

"Six months after Yuki came home to visit," Yoshiki continued, "there was an accident."

"What happened?"

"They were coming home from an old friend's house." Yoshiki explained. "They weren't drinking or anything. They had called me to let me know that they were coming home and that they'd be there in twenty minutes. Twenty minutes went by; then thirty minutes; then an hour. They never came home."

"What did you do?" Lenner asked.

"I called Yuki." Yoshiki replied. "I told him that mom and dad didn't come home and I didn't know where they were. He rushed over. He called everyone we knew, but no one knew where they were either. Not even their old friends knew."

"So what did you guys do?"

"We got a call at one in the morning from the hospital." Yoshiki went on.. "Yuki told me to stay home while he went to the hospital. He didn't come back until twelve in the afternoon."

"And your parents," Deb asked.

"They were driving home when some drunk decided to walk right into the middle of the street." Yoshiki said getting choked up. "They swerved and ended up in the opposite lane. That's when they were struck by another car."

"Go on." Lenner told her.

"A few months passed by." Yoshiki went on. "Yuki started studying English. He was really quiet most of the time. The house seemed so dead. Anyways, when he finally got good enough at it, he taught it to me. We came to the states shortly after."

"Did you notice anything different about your brother's behavior after your parents' death?" Deb asked.

"Just his eyes," Yoshiki said quietly. "They weren't the same. They seemed…icy; almost dead. It's like he wasn't even my brother anymore. I was about twelve at the time, but I felt as if I were living with a complete stranger."

"Stranger, huh," Lenner repeated. "When did he become a tutor?"

"When we finally got settled in, Yuki put an ad in the paper." Yoshiki went on. "He became quite popular. Before we knew it, we were living again, this time better than ever. But…Yuki still had that same icy look in his eyes."

"When did he start getting mixed up…or involved with these other murder victims?" Lenner asked.

"A year later," Yoshiki answered, "he made friends, but the kind of friends he made seemed really shady. I remember he would invite them over to the house. They'd start drinking and laughing and saying all sorts of nasty shit."

"And where were you?" Deb asked.

"Yuki would make me stay in my room whenever his friends came over." Yoshiki answered. "Either that or I was outside hanging with the neighborhood kids. But I never spoke to any of his friends."

"And," Lenner urged.

"One night, I was asleep." Yoshiki went on. "I heard Yuki come in late. I peeked out from my room to see what was going on. I caught a glimpse of the front of his shirt. There was blood on it."

"How much blood," Deb asked her.

"A lot," Yoshiki said softly. "It was all over the front of his shirt."

"How was your brother acting when he came in the front door?" Lenner asked curiously.

"He seemed really panicky." Yoshiki replied. "He practically tore his shirt off. He was breathing really heavy. I noticed that the blood had seeped through his shirt and had gotten onto his chest."

"Doesn't seem like it would be his blood," Deb said turning to Lenner.

"What happened after that?" Lenner asked.

"I never said anything to him." Yoshiki replied. "And for a while, things seemed to be going smoothly. His friends stopped coming to the house. He received phone calls; suspicious phone calls, but I never confronted him about it."

"What do you mean by suspicious phone calls?" Lenner asked her.

"He would start whispering in a harsh tone to who ever he was talking to." Yoshiki replied. "He would use words like secluded and equipment and…piece."

"Piece," Lenner repeated, "as in gun?"

"That's what it sounded like." Yoshiki replied. "Then after a certain time, I started finding out that the kids that Yuki tutored went missing."

"How so," Deb asked curiously.

"Yuki kept a list of all his students' names." Yoshiki went on. "I asked him about his students. He would tell me about them; all of them. That was his mistake."

"What do you mean?" Lenner asked with his heartbeat increasing.

"All of his students ended up on the news." Yoshiki said with a distant look. "All of them dead."

Bingo! That hit the nail on the head. But there was one more piece of information that Lenner and Deb needed.

"It occurred to us that your brother was never questioned about the murders." Lenner went on. "Do you have any idea why that would be?"

"Disguises," Yoshiki said simply.

"Disguises," Lenner repeated confused.

"one day, Yuki decided to go on a shopping spree."Yoshiki continued. "He came back with about eight bags full of clothes, makeup, wigs, and all sorts of shit."

"So he used them to hide his identity?" Deb asked.

"Yeah," Yoshiki replied. "I honestly thought that my brother had gone psycho. When the cops came to the house, he was in disguise and he woiuld pretend he didn't speak English. Then they would just leave."

"Well, that explains a lot." Deb said.

"Uh…the …boy you have there," Lenner said, "your brother's son?"

"Yes." Yoshiki said, "Riku."

"How old is he?" Lenner asked.

"He'll be twelve in two months." Yoshiki said with a smile.

"His mother," Deb asked.

"She passed away when Riku was only four years old." Yoshiki told them.

"When did your brother meet his mother?" Lenner asked.

"After Yuki's last student was killed," Yoshiki continued, "Yuki met Yuzumi. They met in a book store to be precise."

"Did she ever become suspicious of Yuki's whereabouts?" Lenner asked.

"No." Yoshiki replied. "He kept her in the dark about that till she died. It took him two months to bring her home for the first time."

"And," Deb coaxed.

"She was wonderful." Yoshiki chirped. "She spent more time with us than she did with her own family. Plus…I noticed that Yuki seemed happier. He actually looked alive for once in a long time."

"When did they get married?" Lenner asked.

"After just four months." Yoshiki answered. "They dated for four months and immediately after that they tied the knot. Riku came along nine months later."

"And her family," Deb questioned.

"They didn't approve of her marrying my brother." Yoshiki told them. "She had gone behind their backs. When they found out, they didn't want anything to do with her."

"Yuzumi had leukemia, correct?" Lenner asked.

"Yes." Yoshiki replied. "But she didn't find out that she had leukemia until two years later. She had these terrible headaches and dizzy spells for a long time, but she never knew what it meant."

"When did she find out?" Deb asked.

"Yuki begged her to see a doctor." Yoshiki went on. "She was so stubborn. Riku was only two years old at the time. They went in together. The doctor did some tests. Two weeks later, her results came back. The doctor diagnosed her with leukemia."

"I see." Deb said in a low voice.

"Yuki broke down." Yoshiki continued. "He became depressed. Yuzumi tried to console him, but he couldn't stand being near her. He was afraid to even touch her."

"What happened when she died?" Lenner asked.

"Yuki fell back into his old habits." Yoshiki replied. "He was drinking a lot more than usual. I had graduated high school a year early. So taking care of Riku became my responsibility."

"What did you tell Riku when his mother died?" Deb asked.

"I told him…that his mom went on a very long journey." Yoshiki told her. "I told him that he wouldn't see her for a very long time."

"I see." Deb replied. "So Yuki fell back into his old habits. What happened after that?"

"He started tutoring again." Yoshiki replied. "He started talking to his old friends again. And then…he came along."

"He," Lenner repeated curiously.

"Tohma Seguchi." Yoshiki said with a distant look in her eyes.

Another name that they recognized came up. Lenner's heart was doing back flips. Deb fought the urge to smile. They were getting closer and closer by the minute.

"How did Tohma and Yuki meet?" Lenner asked.

"He must have seen Yuki's add in the paper." Yoshiki replied. "One day, he came to the house. He and Yuki talked, shared some laughs, and then he mentioned his brother-in-law."

"Brother-in-law," Lenner repeated curiously.

"Eiri Uesugi." Yoshiki replied.

Oh, joy! Lenner was on cloud nine. Deb was right there with him.

"Did Yuki tutor Tohma's brother-in-law?" Deb asked.

"Yes, he did." Yoshiki replied.

"For how long," Lenner asked her.

"Not too long," Yoshiki told them, "it had only been two in a half months. Then my brother died."

"Go back a little bit." Lenner told her. "Did Yuki and Tohma talk about anything else? Did you meet Eiri at all?"

"Yes, I did." Yoshiki replied. "He was only one year younger than I was. He came by the house to meet my brother for the first time. But Eiri had his tutoring sessions in the library or the park."

"I see." Lenner said rubbing his chin.

"Eiri wasn't like all the other kids that Yuki tutored." Yoshiki added. "He was…different."

"How so," Deb asked her.

"For a sixteen year old boy, he really knew how to turn heads." Yoshiki told them. "He had the face of an angel. People would stop to admire him and fawn over him, especially in the park. Yuki would have to stop in between sessions and go somewhere else where people weren't flirting or fussing over Eiri."

"Was your brother jealous of Eiri?" asked Lenner curiously.

"Oh, yes." Yoshiki said. "Yuki would often times come home frustrated because his star student was getting so much attention from complete strangers."

"He mentioned that to you?" Lenner asked.

"Yeah," Yoshiki replied. "He would say, "I can't stand that kid sometimes. He gets on my fucking nerves. He's not that special.'"

"Did Tohma find out about that?" Lenner asked her.

"No," Yoshiki replied. "He made it seem as though he were really fond of Eiri. One day, Tohma came back to the house alone. I was in my room watching television. I turned it down so I could hear what they were saying. I heard Tohma ask my brother…he…um…"

"What did Tohma ask your brother?" Deb asked her.

Yoshiki took a moment to gather her thoughts. It was hard for her to say the words because she knew how disturbing and indecent they were.

"He…said to him," she continued, ""you like him, don't you; my brother-in-law?"

"And," Deb coaxed.

"Yuki denied it at first." She continued. "But Tohma kept pushing him to tell the truth. Then, Yuki told him, "Okay, so I like him a little bit. Are you going to fire me?" And Tohma was like, "No, I don't blame you. Eiri is so damned cute to resist. Do you want him?"

"What did your brother say to that?" Deb asked.

"He said, "Hell yeah, I want him. How much? Tohma said, "Twenty bucks.' Then the two of them started laughing like crazy."

"Twenty bucks," Lenner repeated. "That's how much Yuki was going to pay for him?" Lenner had seemed angry than shocked at hearing that.

"Yep," Yoshiki replied.

"So what happened next?" Deb asked.

"Yuki asked him, "So can I have him?" Tohma told him, "Yeah, but I don't want him harmed in any way, got it?" Yuki told him, "No problem. You have my word."

"Well, that was obviously a lie, wasn't it?" Deb questioned.

"Doesn't matter if it was a lie," Lenner replied. "They were both guilty of attempted murder and rape."

"But he wasn't raped." Yoshiki told them.

"What?" Lenner and Deb said together.

"I went to the crime scene." Yoshiki confessed. "Eiri and Tohma were both there. Tohma was holding Eiri in his arms with that fake ass look of sadness on his face. The police had asked Eiri if anything had happened to him. I saw him shake his head no. Then…I saw them bring the bodies out on stretchers."

"Did you see the faces?" Lenner asked.

"Yes." Yoshiki replied. "I saw all three faces. His two friends that always came by the house; Derek and Will, and of course I saw my brother's body."

Every single name that Lenner and Deb were searching for came up. It was too good to be true. All the information they needed came from one person. And it happened to be Yuki Kitazawa's little brother/sister.

"Did the police question Tohma Seguchi?" Lenner asked.

"They did," Yoshiki told them. "but he told them that he had no idea what happened. He said that he went to find Eiri and when he found him, he was on the floor next to Yuki's body crying."

"We were informed that the gun used to kill all three men was found inside the apartment." Lenner informed her. "Did you know anything about that?"

"No," Yoshiki replied. "I mean I've always heard Yuki talking to Will on the phone and mentioning the word 'piece' numerous times and I think I've seen a gun in Will's waist band a few times."

"Do you know what kind of gun it was?" Deb asked.

"I don't know." Yoshiki replied. "It was black and brown. That's all I remember."

"Sounds like an AK-47." Lenner responded.

"Yeah," Deb replied, "You seem to be doing very well, Yoshiki. How did you cope with your brother's death?"

"I just felt empty." She told them. "At the crime scene, I looked at Eiri and I couldn't help but think what if it had been me? What would happen if I had been left alone with his friends or anyone else for that matter? How would he feel?"

"Seems like he never took that into consideration," Deb replied remorsefully.

"No, he didn't." Yoshiki went on. "I hated him for it. When it came time to bury him, I had a simple message written on his grave stone."

"What about Riku?" Lenner asked her. "What did you tell him?"

"I told him that his father went on that long journey with his mommy." Yoshiki said with tears in her eyes. "He didn't say anything to me. He didn't talk for a long time. It wasn't until just two years ago that I had to tell him the truth about his mother and father."

"How did he handle it?" Deb asked her.

"He said he already knew." Yoshiki said wiping her eyes. "But he wasn't sad. He accepted it. He said that I had to promise him that I wouldn't go away like they did."

"And you've kept your promise." Deb said with a smile.

"Yuki's grave," Lenner chimed in, "did you ever take Riku to go see it?"

"Yes, once." Yoshiki replied. "But then he told me that he never wanted to go back and see it again."

"And," Deb said.

"And I never did. I never took him back to see his father's grave. That was it. I went back; every year, but not Riku."

"The message on your brother's grave stone," Lenner said, "What exactly does it say?"

"… …It says…Here lies Yuki Kitazawa. I hope to Heaven his soul is gone."

~Owari~

**Angel Eyes Kiyone:** Okay guys, here you go! I know this one took a while. But I've been super busy lately. I hope you enjoyed it. And expect the next chapter very soon. Love you all!


	17. The Package

Gravitaion

Disclaimer: I don't own Gravitation. Maki Murakami does.

Tuesday afternoon, Eiri woke up to the smell of ramen. He couldn't move though. He felt numb. With every day that passed by, he realized he was getting closer to losing Shuichi. Hot tears spilled from his eyes and he squeezed them shut to keep them from flowing even further. He had to see Shuichi again.

"Hey, Mika," came Tatsuha's voice. "What are you doing here?"

At the mention of her name, Eiri got out of bed and went to see what was going on. He had just remembered that his sister was supposed to be having a baby. She shouldn't be out and about.

"Mika," Eiri said emotionless.

"Eiri, there you are!" Mika replied embracing him. "How are you feeling?"

"I could ask you the same question." Eiri replied looking down at her stomach.

Mika's belly had gotten bigger in the three months that she'd been pregnant. It was what she had always wanted; to have a baby of her own. She and Tohma had tried for years to have a baby and never came close. She was more than happy that she was now getting the chance to bring life into the world.

"Well, I hadn't heard from you in a while." She replied. "Plus, father tells me that Tatsuha hasn't been home for quite some time." She looked at her youngest brother who was slurping his soup.

Tatsuha looked dumbly at her with a mouthful of ramen. Mika stared at him with suspicion. Eiri started to wonder what would happen if she found out about his relationship with Ryuichi Sakuma. His thoughts were interrupted when Mika turned back to him.

"So, Eiri," she said looking up at him seriously, "when was the last time you went to see your therapist?"

Eiri looked at her with a serious expression. Of all times she had to bring this up now. He really wasn't in the mood to answer that question. But knowing his big sister, Eiri didn't have a choice. She wouldn't leave him alone about it.

It's been a while, why?" He asked.

"How long is a while?" She asked now scowling at him.

"Eight months." He replied simply.

"Wow, that's a long time." She replied with wide eyes. "Are you okay with that?"

"I'm alright now, aren't I?" Eiri asked seeming annoyed. "Why do you ask?"

"Did Tohma say anything to you?" Tatsuha chimed in.

"He's worried about Eiri." She told him.

Both Eiri and Tatsuha looked at each other and Tatsuha cracked up laughing. Mika seemed confused. She knew that Tatsuha didn't like Tohma, but that was no reason to laugh.

"Worried?" He said with his arms crossed. "Oh, please."

"Tatsuha-"

"Worried my ass," Eiri snorted. "That bastard hasn't called me or dropped by since Shuichi's accident. He's up to something fishy."

"Really," Mika asked now seeming suspicious of her husband.

"Uh huh," Eiri replied.

"Well, now that you mention it," Mika went on, "he's been spending a lot more time at the studio than at home."

"Son of a bitch," Tatsuha spat. "He's going to be a father soon. You'd think he'd want to be there to support his wife."

"Oh, you're so sweet!" Mika teased patting Tatsuha on the head.

"I'm trying to be serious here." He said swatting her hand away. "I've said it from the very beginning, Mika. Tohma is no good. There's something seriously wrong with him."

"And why the hell hasn't he called me in three months?" Eiri asked backing up Tatsuha's suspicion.

"Well, I don't know." Mika replied scratching her head. "Oh, but there is something I need your help with."

"What is it?" Eiri asked.

Mika pulled out a brown package from her purse. It was the same one that had been delivered to her house three months ago just after the accident. She handed it to Eiri.

"That showed up at my house three months ago," she told him, "but I haven't been able to open it."

"Why not," Tatsuha asked.

"I don't know," she replied, "I just have this weird feeling like I'm not supposed to open it.'

"But it has your name on it." Tatsuha said looking at the package.

He looked at the hand writing on it. It looked familiar to him. He swears it looks like Ryuichi's hand writing. But why would his lover send a package to his sister? He quickly brushed it off as a coincidence. There's no way the package could be from Ryuichi.

Just then, Eiri's cell phone rang. The last thing he needed was Mizuki bothering him about another deadline. She had promised him time off to deal with his situation. Eiri rolled his eyes and answered the phone.

"Hello?" He said in an annoyed voice.

"… …Hello…Eiri," came a low voice on the other end.

Eiri's eyes nearly fell out of their sockets. He glanced at Mika for a brief second, and then left the room. The last thing he needed was Tatsuha raising hell and Mika hyperventilating. The two of them were still preoccupied with the package to notice that he had left. Eiri closed the door and walked a few paces away.

"You son of a bitch," he hissed at the man on the other end, "where the fuck are you?"

"Oh, come on now, Eiri," Tohma replied in his usual calm voice, "is that any way to talk to your brother-in-law?"

"You're not my brother, you piece of shit!" Eiri hissed again trying not to raise his voice.

"Oh, Eiri," Tohma went on, "I've just been so busy with work, I haven't been able to see you."

"Busy my ass." He spat. "It's been three months, you asshole. What the hell are you up to?"

"I told you, Eiri," Tohma went on, "I've been busy. Since Mr. Shindou won't be returning to work anymore, I've had to find new bands to take Bad Luck's place."

"How could you? You bastard," Eiri hissed.

"Come now, Eiri." Tohma said in a rather seductive voice. It made Eiri sick to his stomach. "You did the right thing. Your life will be a million times better without Shuichi in it."

"No, it won't." Eiri whispered maliciously. Tears were beginning to form in his eyes. "I made the biggest mistake of my life."

"What, throwing him out?" Tohma asked curiously.

"No, listening to you all of these years." Eiri retorted. "You sick fuck."

"You did the right thing, Eiri." Tohma said softly. "Trust me. I'll be seeing you very soon."

And with that, Tohma hung up the phone. Eiri stood there holding the phone to his ear. His blood was bubbling with anger. The sound of Tohma's voice on the phone…it reminded Eiri of a pedophile. The thought only made his stomach turn over more. But the thought shattered when Eiri heard his sister let out a gut wrenching scream. Eiri dropped his cell phone on the ground and ran back to the room.

When he opened the door, Mika was on the floor curled up in a tight ball. Tatsuha was cradling her in his arms. He looked up at his older brother with a vicious glare on his face. Eiri ran to them and knelt down in front of Mika to help Tatsuha hold her.

"What happened?" He demanded from the younger male.

"The tape," Tatsuha screamed. "There was a tape in the package!"

"What about it!" Eiri screamed back with rage.

"Listen to it!" Tatsuha shot back looking like a mad man.

Eiri looked up at his radio on a stand near the couch. He pushed the rewind button, and then pressed the play button. What he heard drained the color from his face and left him speechless.

"Mika, that's not fair…" came the voice of Tohma from the cassette tape. "I'd rather sleep anywhere else than with you; particularly with my sweet Eiri."

Eiri's mind drifted away for what seemed like eternity. All the times he had spent with Tohma; all the times Tohma had comforted him and gave him advice. Even the times they had bathed together…Tohma didn't see Eiri as a brother-in-law. He saw him as a mate. And he wanted him for himself.

Things had finally come clear to Eiri now. How could he have not seen it before? The blonde felt disgusted with his self. He had been too weak and fragile to make decisions for himself. So he let Tohma make all the decisions for him. Tohma had once said that it pained him to see Shuichi wrap Eiri around his finger. But it wasn't Shuichi who was doing the wrapping; it was Tohma.

"Oh, God," came Mika's scream of agony, "my baby! Something's wrong with my baby!"

"Shit! Eiri we need to get her to a hospital!" Tatsuha told him.

"Let's go." Eiri replied helping Tatsuha lift Mika off of the ground.

The two of them left the apartment with their sister in their arms. Rage filled both of their hearts.

~Owari~

Angel Eyes Kiyone: Another chapter done. I hope you guys enjoyed reading this one as much as I did. Oh, it's getting good now!


	18. The Miracle

**Gravitation**

**Disclaimer: I don't own Gravitation. Maki Murakami does.**

Wednesday morning; an international call went out from New York to the Tokyo police station. Detective Koji Yoshido received the call from his boss at nine-twenty nine a.m.

"What did you say their names were?" He asked. "Tohma Seguchi and Eiri Uesugi. Huh. What- no, there's no problem. It's just that these two are pretty popular here in Japan. Yeah- yeah- Tohma Seguchi is a musician with his own record label. Eiri Uesugi- well he goes by the name Eiri Yuki now.- Oh, he's a novelist.- Yeah."

Detective Koji was given an assignment. He was to run background checks on the two males to see if there was anything on their record that would make them suspects in the New York case.

"Uh…they're both clean." Koji said to the person over the phone. "Yeah, nothing suspicious on either of their records. –Uh let's see. Tohma Seguchi; high school graduate, college graduate, and a Master's Degree in Performing Arts. Eiri Uesugi; well…it says here that he's a high school dropout. –Apparently so. –Yeah. –I don't know, but I'll find out. –Yes. –Bye."

Detective Koji reported to his boss immediately after gathering all of the necessary information. He and his partner were put on the case to figure out how three men were murdered in New York. His older brother was a police officer who lived there and contacted him about the background checks. This was going to be an interesting case for Koji considering that his daughter liked both Nittle Grasper and Bad Luck.

"Aren't you boys lucky?" Koji's boss asked when he and his partner walked into the office. "Who would have thought that Eiri Yuki of all people would be a suspect in a murder case."

"Yeah, no kidding," Koji's partner replied. "My wife has all of his books lined up on her book shelf."

"And my kid likes Nittle Grasper." Koji chimed in.

"Yeah, so does my kid." Their boss said. "I have Eiri Yuki's address and family history here. I'll go over it with you guys later on. Go take a break."

"Yes, sir," they said in unison.

~Meanwhile at the hospital~

Eiri paced back and forth in the sitting room. Tatsuha sat in a chair with his face buried in his hands. The doctors were still stabilizing Mika. Her stress levels shot through the roof causing massive contractions. This was not a good sign. She was at risk of losing her baby.

A few minutes later, a doctor came out of the room. Eiri went to him and asked if Mika and the baby were okay.

"We're still doing all we can to stabilize the pregnancy." He told them. "With extremely high stress levels like your sister's, there's a 50/50 chance she could lose her baby."

"Fuck." Eiri whispered. "How much longer do you think it'll take?"

"I can't really say, sir." The doctor told him. "All we can do is hope for the best."

Tatsuha remained silent in his chair with tears streaming down his face. His blood was boiling with rage. He had told his sister once before. He told her that Tohma was no good. But she didn't listen, neither did their father. Tatsuha was only a little boy then. Who would listen to a child talk such nonsense?

Eiri gave the doctor an okay to proceed with stabilizing Mika's pregnancy. He ran a nervous hand through his hair. If anything happened to his sister or her baby, Eiri wouldn't be able to live with himself. As if losing the boy he loved wasn't bad enough, now his sister's life was in jeopardy. If Eiri ever got his hands on Tohma, the man was going to pay dearly.

At eleven fifty-five a.m., the doctor came out to give them the news. Both Eiri and Tatsuha stood up this time. Their hearts were hammering like crazy.

"Well, how is she?" Tatsuha asked. "Is the baby okay?"

~In the Horizon~

Shuichi was in awe. The couple had told him about certain Beings that wandered the Horizon waiting for infant spirits. One of them stood before him with a small bundle in its arms. It was a baby. Shuichi could hear it cooing from within the blanket. Tears filled his eyes as he realized that the baby was about to cross over to the other side.

"M-may I hold it?" He asked in a soft voice.

The Being did not have a face. Its clothing was pure white along with the rest of its body. It looked at the man and woman for approval.

"It's alright." The woman said to it. "He can hold it for a moment."

The Being with no face implied with its head and handed the baby to Shuichi. The boy smiled sweetly at the child in his arms. He couldn't remember the last time he held something this small and precious in his arms. Why did this child have to die?

"Whose baby is this anyways?" He asked the couple.

The man implied with his head and Shuichi turned towards the sea. A woman with long brown hair and blue eyes appeared. There was pain in her eyes. She looked as if she could crumble at any moment. Shuichi fell to his knees still clutching the child in his arms. He had felt her pain; her suffering. A sense of betrayal swept over him. Someone…had betrayed her also.

With his eyes shut tight, Shuichi began rocking the baby back and forth gently. The Being reached its arms out to retrieve the child from the weeping boy. Before he let the baby go, he whispered in its ear gently.

"You are cherished, and you are loved." He told the child. "You will be at peace in the afterlife. But if you can possibly find enough strength within yourself…then return to your mother, precious angel."

"Shuichi," the woman called softly, "it's time now. Please."

Hesitating a bit, Shuichi handed the baby to the Being and rose to his feet. He watched as it slowly walked towards the line. Through his eyes, Shuichi watched as the line glowed a bit brighter as the creature neared. His breathing became heavier and the sadness within him grew. He closed his eyes tight so he wouldn't have to watch. And then…

**Shing!**

A glare made both the Being and the pink haired boy flinch.

"What's happening?" Shuichi asked the couple.

"Change of plans." The man said simply.

Shuichi looked dumbly at the Being as it turned around and walked away with the child. He didn't understand what was happening. He looked from the Being to the couple and back to the Being.

"Um…I don't understand," he said scratching his head, "what's going on?"

~At the Hospital~

Eiri and Tatsuha stood side by side in front of the doctor. They both held their breaths as they waited for an answer from the doctor about their sister's condition. The doctor seemed to have a stunned look on his face which made the siblings anticipation that much greater.

"Your sister and the baby…"the doctor said, "are both fine."

"Oh God," they both sighed in relief.

"It's shocking really." The doctor said.

"What do you mean?" Eiri asked him curiously.

"I mean I don't know how the child survived. Your sister's stress level was extremely high. In pregnant women, babies usually end up dying inside the mothers when their stress levels go above ten. But this…er…this is a miracle."

Tatsuha grinned from ear to ear. Eiri had tears welling up in his eyes but he fought them back. He couldn't believe what he was hearing. It was a miracle? He was more than grateful. But he had to wonder…what kind of miracle could have saved his niece or nephew?

"Can we go in and see her?" Tatsuha asked the doctor.

"Yes, you may," the doctor said, "but quietly. And be very gentle."

"Thank you." Tatsuha said to the doctor.

He and Eiri followed the doctor inside the room. To their left, there was Mika. She had I.V. tubes in her arms and a feeding tube going through her nose. Her hair was matted and her skin looked pale. The poor woman looked like a porcelain doll. Eiri sat in a chair on her right side. Tatsuha took the chair to her left side. They both held her hands gently. Mika's eyes slowly fluttered open. She stared up at the ceiling for a moment before turning her head towards her youngest brother.

"Tat…su…ha." She whispered weakly.

"We're here, sis." Tatsuha replied with a forced smile. "It's okay. You're going to be okay."

Mika turned her head to look at Eiri. He didn't smile. He only looked at her with sympathetic eyes.

"Hey." He whispered.

"Eir…i…" She said weakly. Tears suddenly came pouring out of her eyes. A name slipped from her lips that neither Eiri nor Tatsuha could decipher. "Shin…"

"What?" Tatsuha asked softly.

"What is it?" Eiri asked leaning forward.

"Shin…dou…" Mika repeated. "I…saw…Shindou."

~Owari~

**Angel Eyes Kiyone**: There you go, ladies and gentlemen! LOL. I know I said I'd have this chapter up sooner, but so many things happened; both good and bad. January 21, 2013, I'm starting my new job as a pharmacy technician! Finally! Thank God! But at the same time, my mom broke her ankle so there's no income coming in. It really sucks. Wish me luck everyone. It's been so long since I've graduated from college and it took this long to finally get a new job. But hopefully I'll be able to help out my family much better now. Thank you to all of my reviewers, subscribers, and followers. I love hearing from you guys. And stay tuned for the next chapter. And I wish all of you the best with your families and your new fanfics. Love you!


	19. The Truth Is Revealed

**Gravitaion**

**Disclaimer: I don't own Gravitation. Maki Murakami does.**

The ride home was quiet. Eiri couldn't believe what he had heard. Mika told them that she had seen Shuichi.

~Flashback~

"What do you mean you saw Shuichi?" Eiri asked her seeming baffled.

"He was standing there…on a beach." She explained weakly. "He was…he was holding…my baby."

Tatsuha and Eiri exchanged looks of absolute disbelief. Could this have been the miracle the doctor was talking about?

~End Flashback~

Tatsuha wiped at the tears that were falling from his eyes. Eiri tried to hold his back. He had been crying nonstop for the past three months. This wasn't like him at all. He just couldn't believe it. His Shuichi; his angel, had saved Mika's baby from death. Now Eiri couldn't help but wonder how he had gotten so lucky. He began to think that he didn't deserve someone as loving and caring as Shuichi.

When they reached the house, it was three o'clock in the afternoon the next day. They were surprised to find a police car parked in the front of the house.

"What's going on?" Tatsuha asked curiously.

"I don't know." Eiri replied.

They got out of the car and walked towards the house. Two detectives greeted them near the door.

"Eiri Uesugi?" One of the detectives said using Eiri's sir name.

The blonde was taken by surprise, but responded all the same. "Yes," he said to them, "can I help you gentlemen with something?"

"Detective Koji and Detective Yuda." One of them said holding up a badge. "We would like to ask you a few questions."

"About what, exactly," Eiri asked suspiciously.

"The murder in New York involving three men," the other detective said, "one of them includes Yuki Kitazawa."

Eiri's heart stopped beating and his mind went blank. For seven years, he had been able to lay low without any problems. Now this was happening to him.

"We're going to need you to come down to the station with us, sir." Detective Yuda told the blonde.

Eiri and Tatsuha exchanged glances. Eiri handed Tatsuha his keys and went with the detectives in the police car. The younger Uesugi watched in disbelief as his older brother rode off with the two men.

"Buddha, help us." He prayed before he unlocked the door and went inside.

~At the station~

Eiri sat in the interrogation room waiting for the detectives to come back. He ran a nervous hand through his hair. He was tired after staying at the hospital overnight with Mika. Now to make things worse, he has to face his past all over again. Tohma had told him that he didn't have to worry about the cops questioning him about anything. But the man obviously had not kept his promise.

After seven years, here he was. The door clicked and the two detectives walked in. One of them was carrying a manila folder. They both sat across from Eiri, whos hands were now folded on the table to keep them from shaking.

"Alright, Mr. Uesugi," detective Koji said slamming the folder down on the table, "let's get down to business."

Eiri stayed quiet. Detective Yuda noticed that the blonde had a distant look on his face. Both detectives shared a quick glance before sitting down in front of him.

"Mr. Uesugi?" Detective Koji called the blondes name to get his attention.

Eiri looked up at them without saying a word. Detective Yuda opened up the folder and removed a bunch of photos.

"Seven years ago," Detective Koji started, "you were found at the crime scene near three bodies. Is that correct?"

Still, he said nothing. Eiri's mind was racing in all different directions. He was all about keeping his composure, but in this situation, he was a mess.

"Mr. Uesugi." Detective Koji said more sternly.

This time, Eiri snapped out of his trance. He cleared his throat, but instead of answering he nodded his head. Then, the difficult part came. Detective Yuda placed three photos in front of him. Eiri's breath hitched in his throat.

"Do these three men look familiar to you?" Detective Yuda asked.

The look on Eiri's face made the two detectives look at each other with uneasiness. Detective Koji mouthed something to Yuda and he got up and left the room. He came back a minute later with a water bottle and handed it to Eiri. Eiri grabbed the water and chugged it.

"Are you alright, Mr. Uesugi?" Detective Koji asked.

"Yeah," Eiri replied shakily, "uh-I'm fine."

"Do you recognize these three men?" Detective Yuda asked once more.

"Y-Yuki…Kitazawa." Eiri responded looking down at the photo of his mentor

"Did you know him?" Yuda asked.

"He was…he was my mentor…in New York." Eiri struggled to say.

"How long did you know Yuki?" Koji asked this time.

"Two months," the blonde replied wiping his mouth with the back of his hand.

"What about these two," Yuda asked pointing at the other two photos.

"… … …"

"Mr. Uesugi?" Detective Koji repeated.

Eiri was gone this time. His eyes glazed over and he had a distant look on his face. The voices in his head were back.

"Be a good boy," said one voice.

"Thanks for the kid," said another voice.

"After you," said Yuki's voice.

"Mr. Uesugi!' Detective Koji called to him.

Eiri snapped back to reality, but this time Eiri felt sick to his stomach. He held his hand over his mouth. Detective Koji got up and grabbed a waste basket from one end of the room and held it out for Eiri. However, instead of vomit, there came blood.

"Call an ambulance!" Detective Koji ordered.

~In the Horizon~

He wasn't aware of what had happened. The next thing he knew, he was on a beach. The blonde stood up and looked around.

"How did I get here?" He asked himself.

Something about this place seemed rather peaceful. The blonde couldn't remember exactly what he was doing before he got here. Something off in the distance caught his eye; a glowing yellow line.

"What is that?" he asked himself.

Slowly, he walked towards it. As he neared, he noticed three figures. Two were shrouded in darkness on the other side of the line. The other was a pink haired boy. The boy turned around slowly. To the blonde's surprise, he was in ruins. His hair was matted, he was bloody and bruised, and he could barely stand up.

The boy seemed familiar somehow. But the blonde could not seem to remember where he had seen him before. The boy looked just as surprised to see the blonde standing there. He held out his hand to the blonde.

"Come to me." The boy said in a gentle tone. "I won't let them hurt you."

The blonde didn't quite understand what he had meant by that. But he slowly walked towards the boy. 'What does he mean?' the blonde thought to himself. 'He's the one who needs help.' The boy looked like he was struggling to stand, but he held out both hands to the blonde. Just before the blonde could place his hands in the boy's own, he felt a sharp jolt in his chest.

"Clear!" came an unknown voice.

There came another jolt and the blonde found himself lying on the floor in a dark room.

"Mr. Uesugi?" said the voice of a medic, "can you hear me, Mr. Uesugi?"

With pain in his chest, Eiri slowly nodded his head.

"We're taking you to Japan Red Cross Medical Center." Another medic told him. "Just try not to move."

He couldn't move. He felt numb all over. The metallic taste of blood was in his mouth, but he couldn't find the strength to spit it out. Everything was spinning in circles and before he knew it, he was in complete darkness.

~In the Horizon~

"Was…that…him?" Shuichi asked the couple.

"Yes it was, dear." The woman told him.

Tears fell from Shuichi's eyes. He was so close, yet so far away. The blonde that stood before him looked as though he had been beaten. Bruises covered his face and arms. His hair was matted and his clothes were torn. Plus, he could barely walk. Shuichi felt sorry for him. He needed to try harder.

"I need to focus more." He said to himself. "I need to concentrate on my goal."

"You're nearly there, son." The man told him. "Don't give up. You've got this."

Shuichi wiped his tears away and smiled. He nodded his head and sat down in the sand. This time, he was determined to give it his all.

~Back at Eiri's apartment~

Tatsuha had just finished taking a shower when he heard the front door open. He put his clothes on and went to the living room to see if Eiri had returned home.

"Bro," he called out, but no answer came.

Tatsuha stepped into the living room only to find none other than Tohma standing there. His heart stopped for a moment. All the color drained from his face. The older man looked at the boy with his infamous coy smile.

"Hello, Tatsuha," he said sweetly to the boy, "how are you doing?"

"What the hell are you doing here?!" Tatsuha snapped.

"My, my," Tohma replied shaking his head, "Aren't we grumpy today?"

"What the hell do you want?!" Tatsuha barked.

"I'm looking for Eiri." Tohma replied narrowing his eyes with that same coy smile on his face.

"He's not here," Tatsuha replied coldly, "now leave."

"Where is he?" Tohma asked in a more demanding tone.

"Like hell I'm going to tell you!" Tatsuha retorted. "Get the fuck out! Bro doesn't even want to see you!"

"Is that so?" The older blonde asked. "What about Mika? Is she here? She wasn't at home."

"Oh, like you give a damn about her." Tatsuha snorted.

"Of course I do." Tohma said sweetly. "She is having my child after all."

"Get out," Tatsuha screamed. "Get the fuck out!"

"…"

"…"

"As you wish," Tohma replied as he turned on his heels. "Let Eiri know that I'm looking for him."

With that, Tohma left. Tatsuha's breathing got heavier. He felt like punching something but kept his arms at his sides. Eiri needed to know that Tohma had been inside the apartment. He took out his cell phone and dialed Eiri's number. After a few rings, it went straight to his voice mail.

"Eiri," Tatsuha said heavily, "call me back when you get this. That mother fucker, Seguchi was here. He's looking for you. Don't worry, I didn't tell him anything. Just…call me back as soon as possible."

~At the hospital~

Eiri awoke only to find himself surrounded by white. He could hear voices and the sound of a heart monitor beeping behind him. The brightness from the ceiling lights made him squint. Two doctors hovered over him. Their voices became much clearer.

"Mr. Uesugi?" One doctor called his name. "Can you hear me?"

"What…happened?" Eiri asked trying to adjust his eyes to the light.

"You blacked out," Said another voice that seemed rather familiar.

Detective Koji and detective Yuda both stepped forward. Eiri sighed when he saw them and put a hand over his face.

"Um…sirs," one doctor said, "I really don't think this is a good time considering the condition he's in."

"Isn't that why we brought him here?" Detective Koji asked boldly. "He's an important part of a murder investigation. We need answers. Now, would you two please step out for a moment? We'll let you know if we need you."

Reluctantly, the doctors did as they were told. They only stood outside of the room. Eiri didn't move though. His head was spinning and he had a slight headache. He knew he had no choice though. The detectives' questions needed to be answered and the sooner the better.

"Mr. Uesugi?" Detective Koji started again, except this time his voice was gentle. "Do you remember the photos we showed you?"

Eiri took a deep breath and answered the question. "Yes. I remember them."

"You knew Yuki Kitazawa, correct?" Detective Yuda questioned this time.

"He was my mentor." Eiri answered for the second time.

"And you said that you've known him for only two months, correct?" Yuda went on.

"Yes." Eiri answered.

"What about the other two," Koji asked. "Did you know them?"

"No." Eiri replied. "But…I did see them. They…they were there that night I…"

"You what?" detective Yuda asked.

Eiri put an arm over his eyes to hide the shame he was feeling at that moment. This was it. It was now or never. He could confess everything and either get away with it, or go to prison. What was the point of holding back now? The boy he loved was going to slip away forever. The man he trusted the most was keeping secrets from him. The media was still in the dark about Shuichi's condition. There really was no point in holding back.

"I did it." Eiri confessed. "I killed them; all three of them."

Detectives Koji and Yuda looked at each other. They still had a few more questions, but they couldn't believe that Eiri had confessed to everything.

"Was it…self-defense?" Detective Koji asked in a low voice.

Eiri nodded his head. He took a deep breath and removed his arm from his eyes.

"It was either kill or be killed." The blonde went on. "I chose to save myself. What else was I supposed to do?"

There was a rather long moment of silence. Eiri closed his eyes tight to keep the tears from coming. Then, detective Koji broke the silence.

"Well," he said, "it looks like you made the right choice, Eiri."

That got the blonde's attention. Eiri's eyes shot open in bewilderment. He looked from one detective to the other. Did he just hear them right? Did they just say that he made the right choice? What could they possibly mean by that?

"The two men that you killed," Detective Yuda said, "were both felons. They were charged for robbery, rape, and child molestation. Your mentor on the other hand, only had a speeding ticket."

"Looks like you're the lucky one, Mr. Uesugi." Detective Koji stated. "Out of all the others, you're the only one who survived."

"What…what do you mean by…others?" Eiri asked confused and curious at the same time. He sat up in his bed with new found strength he didn't know he had.

"You didn't know?" Koji asked surprised. "Kitazawa had other students that he had tutored before you."

"And all of those students," Yuda continued, "ended up dead. They had been raped and killed by the same men that you shot."

Eiri was at a loss for words, but he felt kind of strange. It was as if a huge burden had been lifted off of his shoulders. He had made the right choice after all by pulling the trigger. The very man that he had looked up to, the man that betrayed him, had also betrayed many others. Eiri couldn't believe it.

"But I have to ask," Detective Koji said, "how did you end up alone with those guys anyways?"

"Yuki called me." Eiri explained. "You see, my brother-in-law, Tohma, had taken me to New York when I was sixteen. I had a hard time as a teenager in school. Anyways, Yuki called me late that night. He sounded strange over the phone; like….he was in pain. He asked me if I could come over right away. So I rushed over there."

"And what about your brother-in-law," Yuda asked.

"I wasn't even aware that he had followed me." Eiri told them. "But by the time he came in, it was already too late."

"I see." Yuda replied.

"Oh, boy," Koji said rubbing an eyebrow.

"What?" Eiri asked seeming confused.

"So…" Koji said hesitantly, "you weren't aware that your brother-in-law had been involved with these guys during that time?"

More shock. Eiri wasn't sure if he had heard correctly. Tohma was involved with Yuki Kitazawa and those thugs that nearly raped him? His head started spinning again. He could feel his heart sink. He had hated Tohma for making him break up with Shuichi, but this went way over the line. Eiri had nearly been killed because of him. The blonde fell back against the pillow, feeling weak again.

"How…do you know all of this?" He asked rubbing his eyes.

"A few sources in New York," Detective Yuda said simply.

"Yes, does the name…Yoshiki Kitazawa mean anything to you?" Koji asked looking Eiri dead in the eyes.

"Yeah, that's Yuki's younger brother." Eiri replied pinching the bridge of his nose.

"Really," Detective Koji went on. It seemed more like his tone of voice was mocking the blonde. "It says here that Yoshiki is a…woman."

"That's impossible." Eiri replied seeming annoyed. "Yoshiki is a male. I've met him before."

"Yes," Koji went on, "seven years ago. Apparently he's had surgery done on himself. He is now a woman."

Eiri was stunned. "What?"

~Owari~

**Angel Eyes Kiyone:** There you go guys. Another chapter done; I didn't really like how I wrote the ending. I am still suffering from writers block. Plus, I'm getting another new job so I won't be updating for a while, maybe. The one I got didn't work out and I've been depressed for a few days. Hopefully, this new job will work out better than the last one. However, I won't be at home for a while so I can't use the laptop. I'm hoping I'll get this job so I can finally buy my own soon. Anyways, thanks for reading this chapter. And cookies and ice cream to the reviewer that guessed that the police were going to be involved. You were right on target. Anyways, I'll start typing the next chapter whenever I get the chance. Love you all!


	20. Two Men, No Conscience

Gravitation

Disclaimer: I don't own Gravitation. Maki Murakami does.

Angel Eyes Kiyone: Hey guys. I'm sorry if the font seems too big in this chapter. My laptop is acting kind of weird and I have no idea how to fix it. I know it took a long time to update, but here you go; another chapter. I hope you like it!

Thursday afternoon, Tohma sat in his office. He had just learned from watching the news that Shuichi Shindou was still in his coma. He should have been ecstatic. Shuichi no longer had anything to do with Eiri. But now he wasn't so sure. What if he survived? What if he woke up and decided to go back to Eiri?

Tohma couldn't stand the idea of that happening. He needed to do something. Tohma took out his cell phone and dialed a number.

"This is Seguchi." He said to the person on the other line. "I need you to do me a favor."

~An hour later~

"Hey, K," Hiroshi said to the man on the other end, "can you come with me to the hospital to see Shuichi? –Yeah- no, it's just that I think the paparazzi might be trying to sneak in. I want to make sure nothing happened to him. –Yeah- yeah- I'll call Fujisaki- yeah, thanks- bye."

Hiroshi hung up his cell phone, grabbed his keys and helmet and left his apartment. For the past few days, he's been getting this weird feeling that something bad was going to happen. Shuichi would always come to his mind when that happened. Hiroshi knew that tomorrow would be the day that he would lose Shuichi forever. But he wanted him to go peacefully. That's why he needed to make sure that nothing interfered with that; not even the media.

The ride to the hospital took less than twenty minutes. Hiroshi had stopped at Fujisaki's place to pick him up, then he hauled ass to the hospital. K. was already there waiting for them. The three of them went in together. Hiroshi told the front desk that they had permission from Shuichi's family to go and see him. The woman at the front desk let them through. Plus, K. shot her a death glare that said "watch it" after she gave him a dirty look.

The three of them walked down the hall to room 204, unaware of the patient next door in room 203. Hiroshi opened the door and walked in; K. and Fujisaki followed behind him. No one else was there. Shuichi laid there in the hospital bed in his comatose state. Hiroshi approached his bed and sat down in a chair beside him.

"Hey, Shu," he greeted his best friend, "I'm back. K. and Fujisaki are here too."

"Hey, buddy." K said sitting in a chair opposite of Hiroshi.

"Hi Mr. Shindou," Fujisaki said with a smile.

Hiroshi noticed that Shuichi's hair seemed shorter than last time. His mother must have given him a little trim when she came to see him_. Mama's boy_, he thought to himself. They stayed for an hour and just talked and laughed together. When K. knew that there was no one else in the building that looked suspicious, they left.

~ In the Horizon~

"Hey Shu, I'm back." The red head's voice came from the sea shell.

Shuichi smiled warmly. He had become more calm and aware of what was going on in the human world.

"K. and Fujisaki are here too."

A tear slipped from his eye. He knew that no matter what, he was loved and cherished. But he also knew he had to stay focused on his goal; helping the blonde to overcome his fear.

"I love you all." He said softly to himself.

~Outside the hospital~

K. and the others were walking back to his car when suddenly, he stopped in his tracks. Hiroshi ended up bumping into his back.

"Uh Mr. K," he said curiously, "Is something the matter?"

"That car," K said with a glare.

Hiroshi and Fujisaki looked in the direction that K. was looking. There was a black car with heavily tinted windows.

"What about it?" Fujisaki asked.

K. said nothing. Slowly, he walked over to the car and checked the license plate just to be sure. The gaijin's eyes went wide with terror.

"Shit!" He yelled before turning on his heels and running back towards the hospital.

"Mr. K.!" Both Hiroshi and Fujisaki called after him. They both ran after him.

The car had obviously belonged go someone that K. knew. But by the way he ran off in terror told Hiroshi and Fujisaki that it wasn't someone good. The license plate read A55A551N.

~Inside the hospital~

"Excuse me, young lady?" Came an elderly man's voice at the reception counter.

"Yes, may I help you, sir?" The woman behind the counter asked.

"I'm looking for Shuichi Shindou." The man told her. "Do you know what room he's in?"

"And what is your relationship with Shuichi Shindou?" The woman asked.

"I'm his grandfather." He told her. "His mother and father informed me that he was in an accident. I'd like to see him."

"And what is your name?" she asked.

"Junochi Shinagawa," he told her, "from his mother's side of the family."

"He's in room 204." She told him. "It's down the hall; second door on the right."

"Thank you very much, Miss." He bowed.

The man went through the double doors and turned to his right. He kept walking until he found the room he was looking for. He twisted the door knob and entered the room. There was an empty bed on one side, and the bed near the window which belonged to Shuichi.

He walked over to the empty bed and took the pillow that lay on it. Then he walked over to the foot of Shuichi's bed.

~Meanwhile~

The woman at the front desk jumped out of her seat in terror when K, Hiroshi, and Fujisaki burst through the door. K. ran up to the desk.

"Did an old man named Junochi Shinagawa come in here?" He asked.

"U-uh-y-yes," the woman stuttered.

"Call the police!" K. ordered before bolting through the double doors; his gun drawn.

In room 204, the old man stood over the comatose boy with the hospital pillow in his hand. His eyes showed absolutely no emotion what so ever.

"Nothing personal." He said to the comatose boy before placing the pillow over his face.

~In the Horizon~

Shuichi hunched over and began to cough uncontrollably.

"What is it, dear?!" the woman asked with concern. She could tell that something wasn't right.

"I…can't…breathe." Shuichi struggled to say.

The man and woman could see his aura glowing. The string that bound him to his body was becoming thin. If it became any thinner, it would break and he would die.

"Hold on, son!" The man told him.

~At the hospital~

"Stop," K. ordered as he burst through the door with his gun drawn. He aimed it at the man, pulled the trigger and sent a bullet right through the side of the old man's shoulder.

The old man fell to the ground beside the heart monitor. Hiroshi and Fujisaki came tumbling through the door. K. kept his gun pointed at the old man while Hiroshi checked to see if Shuichi's vital signs were in check.

"He's okay." Hiroshi sighed, stroking Shuichi's hair. "It's okay, buddy, we're here. You're going to be okay."

"Get up!" K. ordered the old man. "I should have known it was you, Junochi. Who hired you, huh?"

The old man laughed wickedly. K. glared menacingly at him and grabbed him by the collar. Fujisaki and Hiroshi stayed by Shuichi's bed side to protect him from the old man. Fujisaki flinched when K. punched the old man in the face.

"Who hired you?!" K. ordered viciously.

"The same man who hired you." The old man said calmly. "Tohma Seguchi."

Hiroshi's heart did a one-eighty. Fujisaki froze in terror. How? Why? Of all people, why would his cousin hire a hit man to kill Shuichi? Hiroshi was silent. Tatsuha was right all along. Tohma wanted Eiri for himself. But he had to make sure that Shuichi was out of the way.

Just then, the police barged through the door with guns drawn. K. dropped his gun and put both hands up. Fujisaki and Hiroshi did the same. But Tohma's hit man grabbed K.'s gun and aimed it at him.

"K," Both Fujisaki and Hiroshi screamed.

Two shots were fired in the room and Junochi fell to the ground; dead. Hiroshi held Fujisaki close to his chest as he hovered over Shuichi's body. There were people screaming down the hall. One of the cops pointed a gun at K. who still had his hands up in the air.

"You," the officer said, "who are you?"

"Claude Winchester, officer." K. told him. "I'm Bad Luck's music manager and body guard."

The cop looked at Hiroshi and Fujisaki, then at Shuichi. He turned around and ordered the other police officers to lower their weapons. Then, he turned back to K.

"Did you know that man?" The officer asked him.

"Yes," K. replied. "His name is Junochi Shinagawa. He's a hit man for hire."

"Do you know who he was working for?" The officer asked.

K. didn't say anything. He wasn't exactly sure if this was Tohma's idea. Plus, the man had hired him to be both Ryuichi and Bad Luck's music manager.

"It was Tohma Seguchi." Hiroshi spoke up.

Both K. and Fujisaki looked at him with wide eyes. Hiroshi had finally done it. He had ratted out Tohma Seguchi.

"Isn't he a suspect in the New York murder case?" Another officer asked.

"I believe so." The lead officer replied.

"New York murder case?" Fujisaki asked in surprise. "What New York murder case?"

"That's police business." The officer replied. "Let's get this guy out of here. I want a background check on this guy when we get to the station."

After Junochi's body was removed and things settled down, Fujisaki, Hiroshi, and K went to the waiting room to calm themselves. Hiroshi was still holding Fujisaki close to him while he cried silently in the older boy's chest. He was still trying to wrap his head around the whole situation.

"Are you guys okay?" K asked them.

"Yeah, I'm good." Hiroshi answered. "But I think he's still shaken up."

For a long time, the three of them were silent. But there was something that Hiroshi wanted to know that was picking at his brain.

"K," he said getting the gaijin's attention, "who was that guy anyways?"

That question also got Fujisaki's attention and he sat up and wiped his face. He had to know who that guy was and if he was affiliated with Tohma.

"Junochi Shinagawa." K. said bitterly. "He's a hit man for hire. And yes, he did work for Tohma."

"But, why," Fujisaki asked in bewilderment. "Why would my cousin want to kill Shuichi?"

"Well, apparently," Hiroshi said to the boy, "your cousin has a thing for Eiri Yuki."

"What?" Fujisaki exclaimed in shock.

"You didn't know?" Hiroshi asked. "It became pretty damned obvious to me when that old geezer mentioned Mr. Seguchi's name."

"What about your grudge against Mr. Yuki?" K. asked him.

"We settled our differences a long time ago." Hiroshi said plainly. "He even came back to see Shuichi once."

There was silence. K. and Fujisaki were at a loss for words. Eiri Yuki was a strange person indeed. But no one could tell what the guy's true intentions were.

"K." Hiroshi spoke up once more. "Was there anyone else who worked with that guy?"

"No." K. replied bluntly. "Shinagawa always worked alone. He's been in that line of work for more than thirty years."

"Well then, good ridden to him." Fujisaki replied.

"I'm with you on that." Hiroshi replied.

"Come on," K. told them, "let's go see Shuichi one last time, then head on out."

They both agreed. They all headed back to Shuichi's room which had been cleaned up after the whole ordeal. This time, Hiroshi didn't have that awful feeling in his gut anymore.

~Later on at the police station~

"So what did you find out about Junochi Shinagawa?" The lead officer asked.

"Junochi Shinagawa," one of the officers started, "late sixties, born November 23rd, given up for adoption at age seven; no children or grandchildren, and no spouse."

"So the guy was a loner." The lead police officer asked.

"Pretty much." The officer said simply.

"Man, what a life to live." Another officer commented.

"No kidding." The lead officer commented. "What else did you find out?"

"He's been involved in over five hundred murders." The first officer went on. "Most which have been long forgotten."

"Which is the most recent?" The lead officer asked.

"An entire family, about a year ago," the officer told him. "The Jinsu family; a mother, father, a daughter and two sons; ages fourteen, ten, and five."

"Oh, my God," the lead officer replied. "Who was before that?"

"The…oh…" the officer replied with wide eyes, "the Sakuma family, Sakura and Shinichi Sakuma."

The lead officer and another officer looked at him in surprise. Could they possibly be?

"Are they…related to Ryuichi Sakuma?" The lead officer asked.

"Uh…yeah," the officer told him, "they were his parents."

~Owari~

**Angel Eyes Kiyone**: Oh my God you guys! I'm so sorry for not updating for so long! I was so busy looking for another job and all. I was a little depressed because of it too. Finally found one, plus I'm back in school now. The whole pharmacy technician thing wasn't working for me. It wasn't what I wanted anyways. I was kind of forced into it. Now I get to do something I've wanted to do for the last three years. Massage Therapy! Whoot! I love school more than I love work! Hah! We get to learn new techniques and try them out on each other. It's so much fun. And all of my teachers are amazing too. They're so nice! But they have terrible hand writing though. LOL. Okay, I'm rambling again. Sorry. Anyways, I hope you guys enjoyed this chapter. Not sure when I'll be able to update next with work and school and all, but I'll do my best. I already wrote out a couple of chapters. It's just finding the time to type and post them that's the problem. But don't lose hope, my pretties! I WILL FINISH THIS STORY! Till then, be well and keep writing!


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